


The Decision of Loyalty

by RedRenders



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Marriage Law Challenge, Time Turner (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:08:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 37
Words: 78,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23591347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedRenders/pseuds/RedRenders
Summary: Dumbledore asks Hermione to go on a three year mission back in time to gain knowledge that is key for the defeat of the Dark Lord. However, things don't always go according to Dumbledore's plan. Especially the Marriage Law that has been brought into effect. Hermione is now, technically, of age and the law must be followed. Hermione's new knowledge of the past make her duties in the future much more difficult than before as she has to decide who she must remain loyal to. The man who she has been forced to marry, or her duty to the Order of the Phoenix.  Marriage Law and Time Turner fic in one.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape
Comments: 770
Kudos: 665





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that all characters and settings belong to J.K. Rowling. I am just having some fun during the pandemic! I hope you all are doing well and this helps you get through it as well!
> 
> If you have Spotify, this is a link to the music I listen to when I am writing. It is constantly being updated but there is no particular order to what songs go with what chapter (however some spots may be easy to see the inspiration). https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5M1WdkhQmlin4BgZqIUgut?si=Q2XCoSWSTqeaRm4fL5JubA Don't judge me too harshly for it lol

## Chapter 1

Hermione twirled the silver band around her left ring finger, lost in thought. Her mind whirring with thoughts she couldn’t control. The band clinked on the side of the teacup as she brought it to her lips. The warm liquid soothed her nerves, but not enough to bring her peace. Not on nights like tonight.

She caught Crookshanks’ tail as he stepped over her. He plopped onto his favorite pillow and sighed, looking up at her as if to say, “Go to bed, already.” She sighed and leaned over to bury her fingers into his thick orange fur. The fur gathered into a little pile as she stroked him. Her husband would be annoyed if he saw it. She collected the little pile and banished it with a flick of her wand.

Again, she was back to worrying. She was too preoccupied to read or sleep, but it was nearing four in the morning. She had class tomorrow. Just as she was about to get up and try to go to bed, there was a loud CRACK! And then a thud. Hermione yelped at the noise but then leapt to the man’s side.

Hermione immediately began a diagnostic spell and saw he was bleeding from several deep cuts and a rib was broken. Her fingers flew to the buttons on his outer coat but was stopped with a strong hand squeezing hers so tightly she thought her fingers would break.

She looked into Severus Snape’s dark eyes and pleaded with him, “Please, Severus. You’re badly injured. I can help.” His eyes narrowed and his grip tightened further. His face contorted in pain and he released her hand with a shove. Hermione’s breath hitched, but she pushed the gesture out of her mind and went to work. She accioed a phial from her bag and held it to his thin, white lips. He glared at her and begrudgingly opened his mouth. His lips closed around the phial and he drank the phial down. There was a muffled snap from his torso and he muffled a scream of pain, biting on his hand.

Hermione grimaced and gave him a regretful look. She smoothed the hair back from his face that was caught in a bloody cut and lowered her wand towards it. “Vulnera sanentur.” She murmured and the skin pulled back together. His layers of black robes made it impossible to tell where the cuts were on his body, so she started to unbutton his coat once again. She could feel his penetrating gaze on her, but she continued.

She left his white undershirt buttoned and started the incantation again. The blood the was blossoming across his shirt slowly seeped back into his body as the cuts healed and soon she was to his legs.

She gave him a quick glance up to his face before starting to undo his belt until his hands grabbed hers again. He sat up quickly and the color drained from his face. She knew he would be dizzy from the blood loss. Her face was inches from his chest and he had her wrists in a death grip. She craned her neck up to meet his angry dark eyes, “I need to heal you completely.”

“I can take care of the rest, Miss Granger.” He hissed out between pursed lips.

“It’s Snape now. And would – you – let – go?” Hermione twisted and pulled her wrists trying to break free, but his grip was steel. His eyes drilled hotly into hers and she felt like she could melt under it. “Please, you need to let me finish. And you need a blood replenishing potion badly.”

He shoved her away and she caught herself before she hit her head on the end table beside the couch in their chambers. She grabbed her wand from the floor where it had fallen and accioed a blood replenishing potion and held it out to him. He stared into her golden eyes for what felt like forever before taking the potion carefully from her hands, his eyes never leaving hers as he unstoppered it and drank the potion down. He finally broke his gaze to start healing his legs and Hermione stood up and grabbed Crookshanks from his pillow and walked into the bedroom to finally sleep for the night. Leaving Severus Snape behind in the dim light of the dying fireplace embers.

3 Years Earlier

There was a light knocking on the heavy, wooden doors that opened to Professor Dumbledore’s office. A muffled, “Come in.” sounded from inside the office and Hermione entered. The professor was standing with his back to her, looking out the large windows onto the grounds bellow. His deep navy robes glimmered in the setting sunlight. His long beard was tied with a silver bow, offsetting his grim face.

“Ah, Miss Granger. Thank you for joining me.”

“Of course, sir.” Hermione crossed the large office to his desk. “What did you need to see me about?”

Dumbledore turned towards her and gestured to the chair opposite his as he sat at his large desk. He took a lemon drop and offered her one with a kind smile. Hermione, being polite, took one and popped it into her mouth. Dumbledore’s face slid into seriousness, “These are dark times, Miss Granger. I trust you are aware.” Hermione nodded. Dumbledore leaned forward in his high back chair, “I wouldn’t be asking this of you unless it was absolutely necessary, Miss. Granger. I need you to understand the seriousness of this request. The fate of many lives rests with your actions if you do as I say, do you understand?”

Hermione’s mouth went dry. Dumbledore’s piercing blue eyes bore into hers as she nodded her understanding. Dumbledore sat back in his chair once again. “Two years ago, you were given a time turner to take classes beyond what you normally would have been able to. After that, you were instructed on how to save the lives of two innocents sentenced to death.” Hermione nodded, remembering Sirius’ sunken, skeletal-like face the first time she saw him.

Dumbledore paused, “I need you to go back again, Miss Granger.”

Hermione let out the breath she had been holding. “What do you need me to do, sir?”

“I need you to do what you do best, Miss Granger. I need you to learn. As much as you possibly can before returning to this time to carry out your new duty for the Order.”

“And what is my new duty, sir?”

“That, I cannot tell you. What I can tell you, is that you will spend three years learning as much as you can. That knowledge may be the difference between life and death for not only you and your friends, but many more. If you agree to do this, no one can know about this. Not your friends, not your family, no one. Do you understand?”

Hermione nodded her head. “But, sir, what do you need to me study? Surely it can’t be something I need to turner for to take classes like before?”

“No, Miss Granger. First, you will study for your OWL’s and then your NEWT’s. You will spend the rest of the semester studying with a friend of mine for those tests. And when you are done, you will come back to me on December 15th and I will tell you what you will be doing next.”

“What do I do about my current classes? What about Harry and Ron? Who will feed my cat?”

“You will, my dear girl. You will take your place while you’re studying. You will be a little older, but otherwise, you will be the same girl you were when you left. Just with more knowledge that will be integral to the order in the coming months.”

“Yes, of course.” Hermione said slowly. Something about the way he said that made her feel like he wasn’t being completely truthful with her, but she pushed the feeling away. “When do I start?”

He hesitated, blue eyes seeming to darken as he regarded her unsurely. “Once you agree to this, you cannot change your mind. You must give me your word, Miss Granger, that you will not back out of this mission. No matter what happens.”

Hermione felt unease settle in her stomach. But this was for the Order. For Harry. She would never back out of something that would help Harry win the looming war. “I give you my word, sir.”

He paused, the hesitant expression still in his eyes. He finally took a deep breath and nodded. “Tomorrow morning. Bring enough to get you by for a few months but remember that you will be here at the same time and will need things as well, so pack light. I will see you at dawn.”

Hermione nodded numbly at how quickly everything was happening. Tomorrow she would leave for three years. She wouldn’t see Harry or Ron. She wouldn’t talk to her family. She wouldn’t hear Crookshanks’ snoring in her ear in the morning. But she knew this was imperative to the success of the Order. She knew she had no choice but to do this for them. War was sacrifice and if this was all she had to do, she would gladly do it.

She stood from the chair before Dumbledore said, “Remember, no one is to know about this, Miss Granger.”

Hermione stopped and turned to look at him over her shoulder, “Of course, sir.” With that, she continued on her way out of his office. Closing his heavy wooden doors softly behind her.

Hermione’s shoes clicked on the stone as she hurried to Gryffindor tower to find Harry and Ron. She needed one last night with them. She climbed the steps to the tower and said the password to the fat lady who swung open to reveal them sitting on the couch near the fire.

Ron had a sticky bun shoved into his mouth and ink smeared across his cheek from where he had scratched with a inky finger as he wrote a lengthy essay. Harry was lounging across a sitting chair beside him throwing a small ball up and catching it. He looked at her as she walked in, “Hey, what did Dumbledore have to say?”

Hermione threw herself into the chair opposite Harry, “He has something he wants me to do with him tomorrow morning. He wants me to study something with him. It shouldn’t take long. I should be done by breakfast.”

“What is he having you study?” Ron murmured as he scribbled something down onto the last available spot on his parchment.

“I’m not really sure yet. He wouldn’t tell me.”

“Well, that sounds about right, aye, Harry?”

Harry snorted and nodded, “Whatever it is, it must be important. Should be interesting to find out tomorrow.”

Hermione smiled a small smile and nodded. Crookshanks leapt into her lap and pawed at her arm before butting his head into her. She grabbed him and brought him into her lap and stroked his fur.

Ron made a disgusted noise,”Wouldja look at the hair that’s coming off that bloody cat? Blimey, ‘Mione, you could make a second one with all the fur it puts off!”

She rolled her eyes, “Don’t listen to him, Crooks.” She cooed at the cat, “At least you don’t do a nose dive into my breakfast every morning.”

“Oi! Pig is just small. Some of those envelopes are really heavy!” Ron said, his ears turning red.

Hermione and Harry laughed at Ron’s embarrassment. To Ron’s chagrin, Pig decided now would be a great time to start circling over them like a feathered snitch on steroids and Ron sank in his chair. Harry and Hermione roared with laughter as Ron tried to calm the small owl down.

\- - -

Hermione returned to her rooms after a late with the boys. They stayed up later than was normal for her, until they started yawning and she could no longer prolong the inevitable. She said good night to them with a sad look on her face which made Harry ask if everything was alright with her. Certainly, she assured him she was fine and just was having fun. And he said he would see her in the morning and she could tell him about Dumbledore over breakfast. Unfortunately, she knew she would not be seeing him for a long time.

She started packing a small, beaded coin purse with some clothes and books she liked to read for fun. She placed an extension charm on it so that she could fit everything she needed inside it. She put a picture of her, Harry, and Ron from last year. She packed a mouse toy that belonged to Crookshanks. She put on a small, sapphire ring on her right hand that her parents gave her. She made sure she left enough clothes for her future self to have and then decided she was ready. She slept with Crookshanks in her lap, purring pleasantly and keeping her warm until dawn came all too soon. Until then, she was left with a million questions racing through her head and no answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember to leave a comment down below if you are enjoying the story so far! Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are doing well! I am sorry this is a bit of a shorter chapter, but hopefully I can keep posting daily for a while this week to make up for it. Happy reading!

## Chapter 2

Hermione scratched Crookshanks under his chin one last time before turning to slip out of the girl’s dormitory and into the dark halls. Walking through the castle in the early hours of the morning was a calm feeling for her. She knew the halls well, even though they were dark and so quiet her breath sounded like it was disturbing its slumbering peace. She wound her way down the halls and through corridors that were hidden behind statues that the boys had found while messing around previous years. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t notice a dark figure looming in the hall ahead of her until she got part of the way down.

She froze. Should she turn around quickly and go another way? Should she find a place to hide? Her mind was soon made up for her as she heard the deep voice reverberating off the stone walls, “Out for stroll – Miss Granger?” Snape hissed out lowly.

Hermione’s heart dropped. She was going to lose points for this, that was certain. She grimaced and tried to sort out her plan of action. She couldn’t just tell him the truth, Dumbledore made her swear she wouldn’t tell anyone. She could tell him that she was going to meet Dumbledore, but then he would question why. “I couldn’t sleep, sir.”

Snape sneered at her, “Lack of sleep is a reasonable excuse now to break the rules?” He walked over to her and she saw his pallid skin glowing from the tip of his wand. He looked unwell. More-so than usual. His inky eyes had dark circles engulfing them, his lips were white and chapped. His hair hung limply in greasy strands around his face. His robes were wrinkled and she thought she saw a singe on the edge. It looked as if he had been in a fight and he was on the losing side. “Fifty – points from Gryffindor. For your early stroll through the castle. And you will be accompanying me in detention this Thursday night.”

Hermione winced at the house point deduction and opened her mouth to argue, but shut it after seeing the look in his eyes. She sighed and apologized, knowing full well he would accompany her back to Gryffindor tower and she would have to start on her outing once again.

“Well?” Snape huffed impatiently at her. “Are you going to go back to Gryffindor tower, or do I need to assign the bloody baron to hold your hand all the way there?”

Hermione was shocked. “But, sir! You never-“

“I don’t have all night to be traipsing about the castle with you, Miss Granger. Surely, the biggest know-it-all of her age can find her own way back to her dormitory without mucking it up?” He raised his eyebrow at her as she floundered for words, “Then again –“ He trailed off.

“No, sir. I can find my own way.”

“Then why are you still wasting my time with your presence?” His voice droned in a sarcastic tone.

Hermione turned on her heel and went back down the hall as quickly as possible. Once she rounded the corner she stopped and waited for a moment before poking her head back around the corner. She saw her professor’s dark form slowly moving away from her with – what was that? – a limp? She squinted into the darkness, but he was starting to blend in with the shadows of the long, dark hallway. When she could no longer see him, she turned and crept down the same hall she had just been in and continued her way to Dumbledore’s office.

When she reached the heavy doors, she lifted her hand to knock lightly on the door. It swung open after a moment and she was greeted by her headmaster, seated in his high back chair and Professor Snape seated across from him.

Hermione’s mouth opened and shut until she let out a huffed out an embarrassed, “if now’s not a good time-“ She motioned to the door and started backing away until she saw Professor Dumbledore’s hand raise to stop her.

“Its quite alright, Miss Granger. Severus was just about to retire to his rooms.”

Snape stood, favoring his left side and stalked towards her. She swallowed a shuddering breath as he swept past her, his cloak brushing against her legs. “Lost, are we, Miss Granger?” He murmured under his breath as he stopped to push open the door.

Hermione’s breath hitched and she turned her head to look into his dark eyes. They met for a second before he slipped through the door and she felt the heat of his gaze burning into her. The door quietly thudded shut and she let the breath she had been holding go.

The headmaster gave her a slight smile, “Don’t mind Severus, Miss Granger. He has been working late nights for me as of late. It makes him irritable, as it would anyone, in that regard.” He paused looking at the time on the dial on his desk, “I do apologize, Miss Granger. I was going to have Dobby bring some raspberry jam on toast seeing as you will miss breakfast, but I don’t think we will have the time for it.”

“That’s alright, sir.” Hermione said sheepishly.

Dumbledore opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a long, thin chain with a silver hourglass hanging heavily from it. It glinted in the light cast from the fireplace that was crackling happily in the corner of the room, casting an orange glow on its shiny surface. “I trust you remember how to use this?” His blue eyes bore into hers and she nodded her head. “This was never meant to be used in the way we will be, so I have made some modifications to it. Tap with the tip of your wand once to turn back by the hour, twice by the day, and thrice by the month.” Hermione nodded her understanding and took the time turner from his outstretched hand and pulled it over her thick curls and tucked it into her shirt. The necklace was cold and foreign on her skin. It felt like a mark of the life she had given up. The new-found responsibilities cold and heavy around her neck, weighing her down.

“I will be taking you to the first part of your journey which is where you will be studying for your exams. It is imperative that you stay unknown to anyone except the wizard who will be assisting you, do you understand?” Hermione nodded. “Good.” Dumbledore stood and rounded the large table to stand next to Hermione. “We will need to apparate there. I should warn you, not everyone finds it enjoyable their first time.” He extended his arm to her, draped in ruby robes that came to a point at his weathered wrist.

Hermione trepidatiously took his arm. Immediately when her hand wrapped around his forearm, she was hurdled through space. The vacuum of time and space crushed her body. It felt like her lungs were on fire as she tried desperately to breathe but couldn’t find the air. It was like walking on a windy day where the wind gusts into your face and you can’t catch your breath, but worse. Much, much worse. Her hand clutched onto the headmaster’s arm like a vice, the only thing that kept her from getting sucked into the void that was apparition.

Then, as quickly as it happened, the spinning and sucking and pulling stopped and her body was jarred as it hit the grassy ground hard. Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground, grass staining her clothes and cheek. She lay there for a moment, catching her breath. She opened her eyes to see pointed wizard’s boots beside her face with ruby robes cascading around them. The blinked and sat up, still dazed and nauseous from her rough landing.

Hermione pulled herself and was met with twinkling blue eyes, “I would say you did rather well for your first time, Miss Granger.” Hermione gave him a look that said she thought otherwise but followed him when he started towards a rickety looking shack ahead of them. It was alone on top of a cliff, below the sea churned and crashed against the rocks of the cliff. The sun was just breaking over the skyline, creating a blazing orange trail across the water. The air smelled of salt and grass and morning dew.

They walked through the wet grass to the front wooden door of the small, dilapidated house and Dumbledore rapped on it cheerily. The door creaked open to reveal a tall man, slightly slouched over to fit in the doorway’s opening.

“Professor Lupin?” Hermione asked, shocked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember to leave a comment down below if you are enjoying the story so far! Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

## Chapter 3

Hermione and Dumbledore trudged up the cliff’s incline towards the small shack. Hermione’s feet slipped in the wet grass, dew still clinging to its lush blades. Dumbledore rapped cheerily on the wooden front door. The door creaked open to reveal a tall man, slightly slouched over to fit in the doorway’s opening.

“Professor Lupin?” Hermione asked, shocked.

The man was sallow looking, his hair had greyed more than the last time she had seen him at Number 12 Grimmauld Place over the summer. His robes were stitched and patched together and hung off his large, gaunt frame. He quirked a small smile at her, “Good to see you, Hermione.”

“Ah, Remus! Good morning to you!” Dumbledore chimed. He hummed as he pushed past the professor and walked into the small house. Lupin stood back from the door and gestured for Hermione to come in. He was well over six feet tall and his presence seemed even larger in the tiny cottage, however he was quiet in nature. She was the first to figure out his werewolf nature in their third year so she understood why he tended to keep to himself. She rounded the corner of the small entryway and went into the kitchen to sit at a small, white table with Dumbledore who was busy pouring himself a cup of tea.

Remus slipped in behind her and leaned against the frame of the doorway into the kitchen, sipping on his own cup of tea. Dumbledore’s humming tune stopped as he brought the small cup to his lips, taking a sip before setting it down to look at her, “Do you know where you are, Miss Granger?”

“No, sir.” Hermione said, running her finger along a deep scratch in the table’s surface. She crossed her legs and bobbed her foot up and down as she waited for the headmaster to reveal more of his plan to her. She was excited to get the opportunity to learn under Professor Lupin again. All the nerves and anxieties she had the prior night seemed far away from her now. She knew what she had to do and who she was to do it with. All she needed was to start.

“We are in a special safeguarded house that was made for Remus to use when he needs…a place to stay. You know of what I am speaking?” Hermione nodded and bit her lip. She knew Remus’ werewolf form personally and knew how dangerous it was when he turned. “This house has more safeguards against it than meets the eye, so it is important that you don’t go wondering without a guide.” Dumbledore nodded to Professor Lupin. “He is here to teach you what you need to know in order to pass your OWLs and NEWTs. Don’t fret over the loss of any extra knowledge you may miss out on by not being in class because when this is all over, you will return right back where you were, evidentially serving detention with Professor Snape.” His blue eyes twinkled in amusement and Lupin cracked a smile for a split second.

“Until you are able to pass all of your OWLs and NEWTs, you can expect to stay here and learn from Remus. However, he may not be here every day. He still has order business to attend to and you can expect him to not be himself once a month on the full moon. He knows how to contain himself, but you would do well to stay clear of him when this happens. Continue your studies while he is absent.” The wooden chair creaked as Dumbledore shifted in it and he cleared his throat, “Unfortunately, Miss. Granger, we cannot use your true name on these tests. The ministry would know something is afoot if they saw a fifth year taking her NEWTs. So, henceforth, you will be Acacia Cresswell of Ravenclaw.”

Hermione nodded. Even in hiding she couldn’t get a normal name, it seemed. “And I have three months to learn three years of school and take my tests?”

“We have the utmost faith in you, Hermione. If anyone could do this, it would be you.” Remus said with a small smile.

Hermione gave him a small smile back and then turned to Dumbledore, “So, where do I begin?”

\- - -

Hermione worked tirelessly alongside Professor Lupin for the next few weeks. From the time she rose in the morning to the time her eyelids were finally too tired to stay open at night, she had a book floating inches from her face. Lupin was a firm, but kind teacher. He quietly corrected things and involved her in discussions over tea or lunch about what she had been reading. He challenged her ideas of what she thought had been black and white, wrong and right. He had an interesting way in finding the grey in subjects that made her look deeper into what her own ideological thoughts were. Often, she would get so wrapped up in the conversation, she would forget her meal entirely until it was cold and unappealing on her plate. Lupin would chew with a mischievous smirk on his face as he forked in the last bit of his warm meal.

Some days, he would take her outside of the house and they would practice spells. These were the days she dreaded the most. Learning things in books was much different from doing them in practice. She was gifted in transfiguration and charms, but defensive and offensive spells came from a more primal, intuitive place that she had yet to really master.

Hermione grimaced as yet another spell backfired in a explosive jet of red sparks from the tip of her wand. It singed her fingers and she yelped and dropped her wand. She let out a frustrated growl and picked up her wand, “What is _wrong_ with me?”

Remus crossed the short distance between them to stand in front of her. He put both of his hands on her shoulders and gripped them in a firm embrace, “This is really advanced stuff we’re working on, Hermione. Don’t be so harsh on yourself. You’re doing superbly. Really, you should be proud of all the things you have accomplished in such a short time.” Lupin gave her shoulders a squeeze before he went rigid, his eyes dilated, and he immediately tapped her head firmly with his wand.

Hermione felt as if he had cracked an egg over her head, a slimy coldness slipped down her body making her shudder at the feeling. She looked down at herself and she was completely invisible, except for her breath in the chilly October air.

Remus held a finger to his lips and started to walk towards the house. He opened the door and walked into the entryway, Hermione closely behind him, and shut the door. He rounded the corner to the kitchen and standing in stark contrast to the French white kitchen of the cottage, was tall, black figure of Severus Snape. “Oh, Severus, its only you.”

Snape turned around with a sneer, “Had enough free time to get some reading done, have you? Albus isn’t keeping you busy enough?” He gestured to the stacks of books piled around the kitchen and throughout the house that Hermione had been studying from. Some still suspended in midair waiting for her to come back to them and begin reading where she left off.

Hermione quietly slipped past Professor Lupin to try make an exit from the kitchen as the two men talked, but accidently knocked a stack of books over with her hip. Both men stopped in mid-sentence and stared at the pile that was now strewn across the floor. Hermione’s eyes closed as Severus’ eyes searched the spot she was standing. _Please, please don’t notice me. Please. Please._ She pleaded with him in her mind and prayed that for once in his life he was an inept spy. Just this once. She didn’t dare breathe as he slowly walked to where she was standing. Her nose was mere inches from his chest. He breathed in deeply. She had put on perfume that morning. Her heart was racing, she could feel the thrush of blood in her ears. He started to lift his hand to reach in front of him. Hermione started to take a step back as quietly as she could without disrupting the air around her, but Lupin cut him off, “Severus! What was it you needed from me?”

Snape stared down at her. There was nothing there to him, but she could feel his intense gaze through her soul. She knew that he knew that someone was there with them, the knowledge flickered in his eyes. And then a look she didn’t quite understand crossed his features for a split second before he slowly turned back to Remus. He took a step over a smaller pile of books that had accumulated on the floor around her chair at the table and made his way back to Lupin. He handed him a phial of what Hermione knew was Wolfsbane potion.

The men started talking again about something that had made the Daily Prophet about a new potion. The men talked for a few more minutes and Hermione didn’t dare move from her spot. They started to end their conversation and Severus’ eyes roamed to the spot she stood in once again. Their eyes met for a split second and she felt something pressing in on her mind and she quickly shut her eyes. The feeling left her mind as quickly as it had slipped in and then he was gone. Apparated out of the kitchen with a flourish of black robes.

Hermione’s breath came out in a ragged huff and her body sagged in relief. Lupin looked over to the area she was standing in and pointed his wand at her and murmured something under his breath. The egg feeling came again, although this time she was able to see herself once again when it was done. “That was a close one.” Remus said with a small smile when he could see her face again.

“Extremely.” Hermione agreed.

“While we’re on the subject, tonight is a full moon, Hermione. So, I will not be with you once the sun sets. You are to stay in your room no matter what, remember that.”

“I know, Professor. Do you think we could go outside again and try that spell? I feel like I may be in a better state of mind for it now.”

\- - -

Hermione tossed and turned that night; she could hear Lupin whimpering from the basement below. Since he had taken the Wolfsbane, instead of turning into his full werewolf form, he became an oversized wolf badly in need of some rest. However, it didn’t sound like he was having much luck either as he yelped and clawed trying to escape. Occasionally, he would howl and then wait for a reply from another pack-mate. Though he never got one.

She put a pillow over her ears and huffed in annoyance. The pillow could muffle the noise, but it couldn’t stop her racing thoughts about her close call with Professor Snape. She was worried that she had just blown her entire operation. The fate of countless lives depended on him, and everyone else for that matter, remaining oblivious to what she was doing. She knew he was a skilled legilimens, and she was no occlumens. She just hoped he didn’t actually see anything when he touched her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are doing well! Please remember to leave a comment down below if you are enjoying the story so far! Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are all doing well! This chapter is more of a set up for the coming ones, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. Happy reading!

## Chapter 4

Hermione sat in the living room on a tattered couch reading the book, “ _Protection Charm Your Mind: A Practical Guide to Counter Legilimensy.”_ She wasn’t sure where the book came from other than she found it hidden amongst one of her piles of books that was delivered to her from the headmaster. Surely, he couldn’t have meant to slip this one in. All of her reading now consisted of academic tomes. She didn’t have any time for extra research. However, given the circumstances of what happened a couple weeks ago, she thought it probably wouldn’t hurt to flip through the pages. The inner cover had the initials TG written in sharp, pointed letters and she wondered who it had belonged to in its previous life.

Her eyes darted back and forth across the pages as she tried to read as quickly as possible. She had no idea when Lupin would return. He had been gone for nearly three days now on a mission for the Order. She knew if he caught her reading something that wasn’t strictly for school, he would be displeased with her.

He was looking rather down lately. She was trying to keep his spirits up by making him his favorite meals and keeping the conversation light. She admitted that being stuck in a tiny cottage for months on end probably wasn’t his favorite way to spend his autumn. Especially with only her for company. However, he was allowed outside whenever he wanted. She was on house arrest and not allowed to talk to anyone. She missed her parents terribly. All she wanted to do was write to them and Harry and Ron. Her heart ached at the thought of them.

She grabbed the small, beaded bag that held all her belongings and accioed the pictures of them. The picture of her, Harry, and Ron showed them laughing and smiling for the camera. Colin Creevey took the picture last year during a celebration of winning a game of quidditch against Ravenclaw. The other picture was still. It showed her parents smiling as they sat on the porch swing that hung at her grandmother’s house. Lilacs bloomed behind them and it was a beautiful day to sit outside. Her eyes sparkled with tears that she wouldn’t let fall. She was here for a reason. If this helped them win the impending war, it was worth not seeing her friends and family for a while. She put the photos carefully back inside the bag and pushed the thoughts of friends and family away.

Just as she had settled back into her reading there was a loud CRACK! Hermione jumped and spilled her tea onto the front of her shirt causing her to hiss to pain. She heard the screeching of the wooden chair in the kitchen being pushed across the floor. Hermione leapt to her feet and strode across the hall to see Lupin slumped in a chair in the kitchen.

“Professor?” She called out nervously. He made a moaning grunt like an ill dog. “Professor Lupin? Are you alright?”

His robes were tattered and covered in blood. She wasn’t sure if it was all his though. His soft, grey eyes met hers, “We had a bit of a nasty run in.” Remus grimaced as his shifted.

“We?” Hermione asked, her heart leapt at the thought of any scrap of news. It had been weeks of nothing. Remus kept to himself most of the time if they weren’t talking about something school related and any time she tried to bring up Harry or Ron, he changed the subject quickly. She had even tried bringing up Sirius once, but this only got her a stern look and a reminder that Order business was limits until she was of age.

“Yes, Tonks and I.” His face almost seemed to – soften – at the mention of the pink haired witch. Hermione had met her over the summer at Grimmauld Place. She was a young auror learning under Mad eye Moody. She wasn’t much older than Hermione, really. In her early twenties and had a fiery attitude that was a good match to Moody’s – well, rather moody – disposition. She and Hermione had a few good conversations, but she hadn’t heard much from her after returning to school.

It was easy running into people at Grimmauld Place. Wizards and witches of all types were constantly in and out of the headquarters for the Order of the Pheonix while she stayed there last summer. It was night and day in comparison to the sheltered life she was restricted to now.

Hermione perked up at the mention of the young auror. “Tonks? How is she doing?”

“She’s been kept busy, as you would expect. Between the Order and Mad eye, she’s been running about almost every night. And you can about imagine how she is dealing with the news –“ Lupin stopped himself, immediately looking annoyed.

“News?” Hermione pressed.

“Never you mind that. You’ll know about it soon enough. You need to focus on your studies. We are very nearly halfway through the semester. How are you doing on your blood replenishing potion?”

Hermione glanced at the bubbling cauldron that was sitting on the countertop. “It’s nearly done brewing.”

Lupin nodded, “I’ll take a look at it after I get myself cleaned up.” Lupin gripped the table and started to pull himself up until he lost his balance and fell heavily back in the chair. Hermione stood and gripped his forearm and he pulled himself up again, this time standing. His large frame leaned heavily on her as she struggled to help him into the bathroom they shared. Hermione was thankful Professor Lupin was relatively clean in comparison to Ron whose bathroom he shared with his twin brothers at the Burrow was enough to make her stop in her tracks and turn tail if she had the misfortune of stepping foot in it.

She got him to the sink where he was able to support himself on it and watched as he pointed his wand at his torso and started healing himself. “Professor? How did you learn how to do that?”

Lupin glanced at her with a small smile, “It is necessary with my…affliction. It was one of the first things I taught myself when coming to Hogwarts.” Hermione mulled the thought of an eleven-year-old Remus Lupin studying in the library and practicing spells on himself once a month after changing. “Eventually, Sirius would help me. The spells are much easier to do on someone else.”

Hermione leaned on the wall by the sink, “D’you think you could teach me sometime? You never know when that could come in handy with Ron and Harry.” She said with a small laugh that Lupin echoed.

Lupin nodded, “I’m sure it would come in handy with those two.” He said with a laugh. “I’ve mostly finished, but I’m sure there will be another opportunity soon.” His face darkened at the end.

Hermione wanted to question him why, but she bit her tongue. She knew that if she wanted to get more information from him, she would need to space out her questions and slip them in when he wasn’t paying attention.

\- - -

Hermione stared at the ceiling of the small, plain bedroom she had in the cottage. It was really just a bed in a room and nothing more, hardly enough to call it her own, but she had charmed the mattress so it wasn’t as stiff and that was something. She flopped on her side then to her stomach then back to her side before sighing in a frustrated huff. Then a small noise pricked her ears in through the quiet darkness. She held her breath and listened to the noise. It almost sounded like…talking? But the voice was far too light and high to be Professor Lupin’s. Hemrione listened and heard who she knew for sure was Lupin. He sounded strained, like he was whispering but it was a struggle to contain himself.

Hermione sat up in bed and carefully swung her legs out and planted her feet quietly on the stone floor. The cold stone was a shock to the warm soles of her feet as she stood and fought the urge to shiver. She crept towards the door and slowly opened it. It made a soft creaking noise as she slowly pulled it open and she stopped dead. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, hoping no one had heard the small noise, but soon after she heard the softer voice again.

She finished opening the door and toed her way slowly down the hall to see there was a faint light coming from the living room. She pressed her back to the wall and slid against it, careful to stay in the shadows.

“I refuse to doom you to a life no one should have to endure!” Remus angrily whispered. “Its not safe and I would rather die than put you in harms way! Especially when the danger comes from my own hands.”

“Remus, do you not remember what I chose to do for a living? Every day I put myself in harms way, hell, I enjoy it!”

“This is different, Nymphadora!”

Hermione held back a gasp of shock. Tonks was here? What was she doing here? Was it Order business?

“Please, Remus! You know the law will affect me next. Don’t subject me to being bid on like cattle.” She pleaded with him. “Let me have some dignity. I know you have feelings for me, whether you care to admit it to yourself or not.”

Hermione felt the wall shake as something hit it heavily. “I will not put you in danger once a month just to fulfil a desire! I care about you too much for that.”

“I will be in danger either way. I would much rather live my life in danger with you than a man who I don’t know and don’t care about.” Tonks said softly. “Please, just think about it.”

There was a pause where no one said anything, and then she heard a swish of robes and Tonks appeared in the hall mere feet away from her. Hermione quickly and quietly backed further down the hall and into the shadows. She watched as the young auror quietly stormed from the house and shut the front door forcefully behind her, shaking the windows.

Hermione scurried back to her room and shut the door with a light click. She launched herself back into her bed and hid herself under the covers.

This had to be related to the news Professor Lupin had slipped up about last week. What was she going on about a law? And why would she be bid on? Hermione thought about Remus’ pleas to her about safety. The fact that he admitted to having feelings for her didn’t shock Hermione. She saw the way he looked at her over the summer and the way his face softened when talking about her. But she didn’t understand his resistance to her when she obviously returned his feelings. Hermione wanted to know more. She wished she was able to get the Daily Prophet. Something big was happening and she had a feeling Dumbledore was specifically trying to keep her from finding out about it.

\- - -

The following weeks yielded no results in Hermione’s questions about what she heard that night. Every time she brought up Tonks, Professor Lupin would go rigid and change the subject quickly. Hermione was getting more and more hopeless as the days went on. He was like a sealed vault since that night and she knew he was getting perturbed by her questions. He was more guarded around her and their chats became less friendly and more formal every passing day. He was closing off from her and she had no idea how to get him to open up more. That, and he was being sent away on missions for the Order more frequently now. He was gone for long stretches and came home beaten and bloody most of the time. He now allowed her to heal him when he apparated back to the cottage, which gave her a small bit of hope. He rarely talked to her now while she healed him though. Gone were the small smiles and laughter that he gave her occasionally before. Now, the only time he talked to her was about schoolwork.

The semester was ending soon, and she would report to Dumbledore for her testing in a couple short weeks. After that, she didn’t know where she would be again. The thought made her stomach clench uncomfortably. She knew she was ready for her tests, but not knowing what Dumbledore had in store for her made her nervous. She had a sinking feeling it wouldn’t be as easy as this had been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember to leave a comment down below if you are enjoying the story so far! I have been enjoying reading them and hearing your thoughts, it gives me motivation to keep writing. Thank you for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so SORRY I haven't posted since last week! I really wanted to keep up with the daily updates, but, unfortunately, life happened. I was able to think more about how I wanted this story to play out and how I wanted to string all of my ideas together, so some good came from this break. At any rate, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

## Chapter 5

Hermione yelped in pain as a stinging her grazed her shoulder and singed her sweater. Lupin stood across from her, his wand extended as he slowly toed closer to her. The tip of his wand spit out red light as another hex flew at her. Hermione whipped her wand around herself shouting, “Protego!” The her bounced off of her invisible shield and she moved to throw her own hex at her professor, but was once again too slow. Hermione leapt out of the way as another hex whizzed by her, narrowly missing her. 

“Concentrate, Hermione!” Lupin commanded from across the field

Snow had slid up her shirt as she leapt from his her and the cold was biting into her skin. Hermione hopped up and readied herself again, she lunged as she sent a stunning spell sailing towards Lupin, but he deftly blocked it. Her face twisted in frustration and she lowered her wand. Lupin took her moment of frustration as an opportunity and stunned her. 

Hermione fell stiffly to the ground and watched helplessly as Lupin crossed the snow covered grass towards her. His shoes crunched in the snow as he neared her. She could see he had holes in his trainers when his feet stopped inches from her head. He loomed over her with a sad look in his eyes, “I think we will take a break for the day.” He swished his wand over her stiff form and she felt the hex melt from her frozen muscles. He offered her his hand and she gripped it, allowing him to pull her to her feet. 

Frustrated tears sparkled in her eyes, “I don’t know whats wrong with me!” she angrily wiped at her eyes with the cuff of her sweater. Though, it didn’t really matter. She was soaking wet from falling in the snow so many times, whereas, Lupin was dry except for the places where large, heavy snowflakes had landed and melted into his clothes. 

“Nothing is wrong with you, Hermione. You’re doing extraordinarily well. You know the spells and your technique is beautiful. You just need more….experience.” Lupin gripped her shoulder and looked into her soft brown eyes, “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

Hermione knew he was right. She knew what she was doing, she was just not as practiced as he was. But she knew she needed to be better. Dumbledore was expecting her to be better. How was she going to be any use to the order, if she couldn’t even properly protect herself? She nodded and let him guide her into the house. 

Lupin flicked his wand and the kettle on the stove flew towards the sink and started filling with water for tea. He leaned against the counter as the dishes whirled around him and stared at Hermione. She sat in her usual seat at the small kitchen table, dejected. He crossed his arms and pondered how to begin, but was cut off when she spoke first. “Professor, I saw something the other night that I don’t think I was supposed to, but I couldn’t help myself.” Her eyes met his and she could tell he was taken aback at her brash statement. “I heard you talking to Tonks.”

Lupin’s face relaxed with relief before becoming worried again, “You shouldn’t have listened in-"

“I know, I’m sorry, sir. I just haven’t heard any news in months and when I heard someone else was here...” She trailed off looking away from him. The feeling of shame welled up in her throat, but she needed to know. “What did she mean by the law was going to affect her next?” The question sprang from her mouth and she immediately regretted it. What if it was something personal? What if it was something she wasn’t supposed to know about yet? But the weeks of being kept in the dark made her starved for information. 

Remus shook his head and turned away. He started buying himself with the tea like he hadn’t even heard her. 

“Professor?” Hermione prodded. Still, he ignored her. She felt all of the anger, frustration, and anxiety that she had been keeping at bay since Dumbledore had recruited her for this task welling up inside her. She stood up abruptly, the wooden chair screeching across the floor from her abrupt movement, “Professor!” she said sharply. 

Lupin jumped in surprise and the dishes that were floating around him, pouring tea crashed to the floor. He whipped around and faced the young girl, seeing the emotion change from anger to regret at the sight of the mess. 

“I-I'm sorry-" 

Remus flicked his wand at the mess and the shards of porcelain swirled around making a small tornado of glass before neatly coming back together to form the teacups they had been before. He sighed heavily before pouring himself a cup of tea, blowing the steam as it brimmed over the edge of the cup and rose in front of his scarred face. “Do not ask me to tell you things you know I cannot.” He took a sip then added softly, “You know I would tell you if I could.”

Hermione knew he was sworn to Dumbledore the same as she was. But then, an idea came to her and she perked up a bit, “I am supposed to be on this mission for the next three years of my life-“

Lupin snapped, “You’re not to tell me anything Dumbledore has told you!”

“-How am I supposed to stay completely in the dark for three years while learning as much as I possibly can? And once I am done, I will return exactly where I was before! When was this law put into place? A month ago? Two? I will find out right away! How will knowing about a law change anything I do? There’s nothing I can do to alter a law.” Hermione took a breath to calm herself, “Please, Professor.”

Lupin took a deep breath and eyed the girl over his cup. He seemed to consider his options for a while, warring with himself internally. After several moments passed and Hermione waited with bated breath, he finally sighed and sat at the chair opposite from her at the table. “I can only tell you very limited, need to know information.”

Hermione’s heart soared. She nodded enthusiastically, “Thank you, Professor-“

Lupin waved away her excited thanks and continued to sip on his tea and produced a copy of the daily prophet. It was from September, shortly after she left on her mission. Her eyes immediately found the headline of the front page, “ _Minister Approves New Marriage Law, Thousands Affected in First Wave”_

“A marriage law?” Hermione spat, incredulously.

Lupin mournfully nodded, “It gets worse.” He motioned for her to continue reading.

Hermione’s eyes hungrily darted back and forth across the page. She read the entire article, then read it again. Then again. Finally, she looked up from the page and to Lupin’s distressed face, “I cannot believe this rubbish!”

“That’s the reaction most of us had when we found out, as well.”

Hermione thought back to what she had heard over the summer when Sirius had told Harry about what the Order thought the Dark Lord was planning. Both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord had people feeding them information from the inside of the ministry. Ron’s dad, Arthur, as well as Kingsley Shacklebolt were an integral part of gaining information for the Order. If the Dark Lord had his followers in high enough places, she was sure he would be able to influence laws into his favor. And this had to be one of those times. “This is the Dark Lord’s way of gaining insight, isn’t it?”

Lupin nodded, “We believe so. The ministry has been pairing people who may prove useful turning to his side or who may have insight to the Order and Ministry with known supporters of the Dark Lord. In some cases, if they are important enough, to Death Eaters.”

“Who has been paired so far?” Hermione’s heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. In three years, she would be returned back to where she left off in September. Except she would be older. Three years older. A year older than the legal age of the wizarding community. “Professor Lupin, who has been paired so far?” She pressed. She stared into his saddened eyes. “Am _I_ in the first wave of people to be married?”

Lupin said nothing.

Hermione’s stomach felt like it had just dropped from a ten-story building. “Who am I married to, Professor?”

Lupin shook his head, “I cannot tell you that. I’ve said more than I should have already.”

Hermione’s mind was spinning with the possibilities of who it could possibly be, “Is it you?”

Lupin choked and sputtered on his tea, “No – Hermione – it’s not me.” He said, wheezing between words. “But Dumbledore wouldn’t let you marry someone he knew you would be in danger with. Don’t worry over this too much, I know you.” He said with a small smile.

“But you…what Tonks said that night. Was she trying to propose to you?” The idea of the younger auror trying to persuade the timid werewolf made Hermione smile. And then the idea of how this must be affecting all of the Order, including her future past self, made her laugh a little. Except the laugh turned into a giggle. Which turned into a fit of laughter that she couldn’t stop. “I’m sorry, Professor, this just all seems so…ridiculous!” She was howling with laughter as she pictured herself married to any of the men in the Order. Visions of a wedding with Sirius crossed her mind, which would make her Harry’s aunt. That idea only spurred on the laughing fit. She soon heard Lupin’s bark of laughter escape him and then he, too, was howling with laughter along with her.

Hermione’s face and sides hurt from laughing for so long and she tried to catch her breath. A giggle escaping her occasionally. She finally calmed down and they were both wiping tears from her face. She was still smiling as she looked at Lupin and said, “I think you and Tonks would make a nice couple.”

This seemed to sober Lupin and his face fell into seriousness. “She is young and doesn’t understand the danger she would be putting herself into marrying me.”

Hermione snorted at that, “Oh please, Professor. She’s an auror for heaven’s sake! She’s Moody’s apprentice! If anyone can handle herself, its Tonks. And I know she fancy’s you.” Lupin sat up a little in his seat. Hermione’s lips quirked into a sly smile, “She couldn’t take her eyes off of you all summer.”

\- - -

Hermione sat across from Dumbledore in his office. Today was the day she would take her tests. Lupin had quizzed her relentlessly for the past couple weeks and she was sure if he asked her another question, her head was going to spin around and pop off. She hadn’t slept since the news Lupin had shared with her. Her dreams were plagued with images of weddings and different men standing across from her at the altar. The most disturbing of which was Dumbledore’s twinkling eyes staring at her as he held her hands, sliding a wedding ring on her finger. She shuddered at the memory and was brought back to reality.

“I’m sure you have been more than ready for this day to come for the last couple months, Miss Granger.” Dumbledore said with a twinkle.

Hermione nodded; her stomach was in knots. Everything was riding on this. She needed to pass these tests with exceptional marks to prove she belonged on this mission. If not to Dumbledore, then to herself. She knew she was ready.

“Then – let’s begin!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember to leave a comment down below if you are enjoying the story so far! Thank you for all of your comments on the previous chapters! I love reading them! Thank you for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope you are enjoying the story so far! I am really enjoying writing it, but I thought I would tell you guys that the updates may come more sporadically starting next week. I am a teacher and I work a second job in guest service and my second job decided to start up again. So, with the extra work, I may be a bit busy. But I do plan on writing as much as possible. With that being said, I hope you are all doing well and staying safe! Happy reading!

## Chapter 6

Hermione’s eyes were dry and strained when she walked into the inky darkness towards the small cottage she had called home these past few months. There was a warm glow coming from inside through the frost chilled windows. The snow was sticking to the grass now and her footsteps crunched through the snow as she neared the shack.

She opened the door with a creak and closed it quickly before her, not wanting the chill to permeate the house. She worked on unwrapping her winter robes from around her body, throwing the soaked clothes onto a hook behind the door. She turned around and jumped, grabbing her chest with a started gasp, “Oh! Professor, I didn’t see you there!”

Remus was leaning against the wall of the hallway watching her struggle with her robes. His face was barely lit by the small fire in the sitting room next to him. “Sorry, Hermione, I didn’t mean to startle you.” He said with a small smile.

Hermione laughed and tucked a strand of curly hair, frizzy from the wet snow, behind her ear. “No worries! Should I make some tea?” She hurried into the kitchen when he nodded and set to making them both a cup.

Lupin watched her flutter from one side of the room to the other as she gathered cups and tea leaves. “How did your testing go?”

Hermione’s shoulders visibly slumped with the mention of them. “Uh – well…I think they went alright? I just had my astronomy testing tonight. Professor Dumbledore said he would talk to the Wizarding Examination Authority to get my results as quickly as possible, so I guess its just a waiting game now.”

“And how did your Defense Against the Dark Arts testing go earlier today?”

Hermione idly twisted a piece of her hair around her finger and bit her lip, “I think it went pretty well…all things considered.”

Lupin’s face lit up, “I knew you could do it! There’s a reason everyone calls you the brightest witch of your age.” Hermione laughed at his excitement and shook her head. “Dumbledore wouldn’t have asked you to do this if he didn’t think you could do it. I know you don’t think you belong on this mission-“ Hermione met his eyes with a level gaze, “-but I think you’re the only one who could do this.”

Hermione gave him a small smile, “Thank you, Professor.” She hesitated before saying, “And thank you for teaching me. I couldn’t have done this without you. I really wish you would have stayed on as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. You’re loads better than Umbridge has been for the short time I had with her.”

Lupin sobered at the mention of the current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. “Harry mentioned her…unusual methods-”

“You’ve spoken to Harry?” Hermione cut him off excitedly. Lupin looked like he immediately regretted mentioning Harry. “How is he doing? Did he mention anything about the Dark Lord? Is he still having the dreams?”

Lupin cut her off, “You’re all doing fine. You know I can’t tell you anything about what is happening there. If you know something, you may try to change it when you go back. Even if you don’t mean to.”

Hermione’s heart fell and she hung her head. She knew it was dangerous for him to give her news of what her future self was dealing with. He had given her more than she could have hoped for with the article from the Daily Prophet the other week.

“I will say…I will miss your company when you leave. The house has been less…lonely.” He gave her a small smile that she returned. “And I’m not looking forward to eating my own cooking again.” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at her with a forlorn look.

Hermione chuckled at his discomfort, “Maybe tomorrow I can teach you how to make something simple? It might be fun to switch the student/teacher role for once.”

“I would love that, but tomorrow is a full moon night, so I’ll…need my rest.” He sighed and his brow furrowed, “Speaking of that, Severus hasn’t been by to deliver the Wolfsbane potion yet. I wish he was able to give me a definite time of when it will be ready. I don’t want another close call with him seeing you.”

Hermione nodded, remembering to the close call he had with her in the kitchen. “That would probably be for the best.”

\- - -

Hermione got up early the next morning, her stomach making loud growling noises. She pulled herself into the kitchen, still mostly asleep. The dim light of dawn breaking over the horizon barely lit the small room, but she liked the quiet peace and didn’t want to disturb it by lighting a fire in the hearth. The stone floors were chilly on her bare feet as she groggily lumbered around the kitchen, making herself some tea before she set to work on breakfast. She wondered if Lupin would be up soon and if she should make him some food too, but she decided he would probably sleep in this morning since he didn’t have to teach her anymore and he would have a long night tonight.

She put the kettle on the stove and started boiling the water for her tea. She was lost in her thoughts until she was abruptly pulled from them with a loud CRACK! Hermione jumped and spun on her heel, wand pulled and ready.

She gasped in surprise as her eyes met the impossibly dark, hard eyes of Severus Snape. He seemed to relax his posture when he recognized her. His eyes roamed her, as if looking for something, then snapped back up to her face. Hermione saw that he was battered and a trail of dried blood crusted down to his eye from his heavy brow bone. His face shifted from relief to hot anger, “Granger? What are you doing-“

Hermione whipped around with a CRACK! and was gone. She saw him lunge to grab her, but she was just quick enough to escape his outstretched hand. She appeared in her room at the other end of the shack. Lost in the pitch dark of her room, she fell to her knees onto the stone floor. She winced in pain but quickly scrambled back to her bed when she heard the angry footsteps of Snape thundering down the hall.

Her heart felt like it was going to pound out of her chest. If she could see her wand hand, she knew it would be shaking so bad that she wouldn’t be able to aim. Thankfully, her target was in close range. She pointed her wand at her face and she soon felt the cool, slippery feeling of the disillusionment charm sliding down her body. When she knew she wouldn’t be seen, she moved to the door, cracking it a bit. Just enough to see Snape whip open the door opposite hers.

Snape stormed into Lupin’s room and grabbed onto the werewolf’s night shirt. He fisted the fabric in his hands and shook the man awake abruptly. Lupin’s hands clenched around Snape’s as he futilely fought the dark wizard’s grasp.

“What in the hell? Severus!”

Snape snarled so low, Hermione could barely hear him. “Thought it would be funny to have a go with my wife, Lupin?”

“What? No! Severus, I-“ Lupin tried to get a word in between the hard shakes Snape was giving him. One hand was rifling around for his wand but was just short of it on his bedside table.

“You’ll do well to keep your bloody paws off her, filthy half-breed!”

His hand finally made contact with the thick, bulbous end of his wand and his hand closed around it. He whipped it towards Snape, sending the man flying back and into the wall. Lupin jumped from the bed and crossed the room towards the man who was slumped against the wall. He kneeled down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder, “Severus, I haven’t done anything with Hermione.”

Snape glared up at the man, still too dazed to do anything.

“Really, I haven’t. She just came to grab a book from me, I swear. I told her to grab it in the morning, but that I probably wouldn’t be up. If she wanted to discuss anything, she could stick around and read it until I got up. You know your marriage would have dissolved immediately if we had done anything! Get it together! I know this has been…trying for you, but, honestly?”

Snape grunted as he tried to pull himself up from the hard floor. Lupin hooked his hand around the man’s arm and helped him stand, steadying him when his leg gave out on him. “She was only here for a book? Why did she apparate without talking to me, then?” He snarled as he brushed himself off and righted his clothes.

“You probably just startled the girl, Severus.”

Snape rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his lank, inky hair. “Startled? By me?”

“What an absurd notion. You’re such a subtle creature.” Lupin said as he smoothed the wrinkles in his shirt.

Snape glared at Remus again. He pulled a phial from his robes and shoved it into Lupin’s hands. “Here. I was called away last night, so I wasn’t able to be here sooner. You need to take it now, before the sun rises.”

The men looked out the window and watched as rays of light burst over the horizon, giving the small room an intense orange glow and casting everything else the rays couldn’t touch in deep blue shadow. Lupin unstoppered the phial and drank it down quickly, shuddering as the potion stung his throat.

Lupin thanked him and Snape waved it off. “I should be going. I can’t wait to have a little chat with her about this.” His hand dragged down his face; he winced as his hand dragged the skin that was sliced over his brow bone. “Maybe after I sleep.”

Lupin gave Snape a small smile, “Best of luck, with that.” Snape gave Lupin a look that made him chuckle. “Just give her a bit of patience. She’s a smart witch-“

“Yes, she likes to remind me of it. Every. Chance. She. Gets. Flailing her arm in the air like some sort of ridiculous bird.”

“What I’m trying to say is, she could be of more use to you than you think. Give her a chance. She may surprise you.”

Snape sneered, “Well, since you seem to be the expert on the girl-“

“She’s not a girl, Severus. She’s over the age and you know she has always thought very highly of you. Don’t take her kindness for weakness.”

Snape gave him a level look, like he was considering what the other man was saying. But then his gaze hardened and he turned on his heel and swept from the small room. Hermione heard his footsteps down the hall and then a CRACK! and he apparated away.

Hermione’s head was spinning like a top. She couldn’t catch her breath. She stumbled backwards and quickly released the spell keeping her disillusioned. Her hands were shaking and her knees felt weak. She pushed the door open and slowly walked out of the room to stand in Lupin’s doorway.

Her eyes met Lupin’s and he looked cautiously back at her. His eyes skimmed over her shaking form and he moved to close the distance between them, but Hermione startled him, “I’m married…to SNAPE?”

Lupin’s face went white and he swallowed thickly, “You shouldn’t have listened-“

“I’m MARRIED? To SNAPE? You’ve got to be kidding me!” Hermione’s head felt like it was going to explode from all the thoughts racing through her. She couldn’t pick one to concentrate on long enough to express a thought besides her initial shock.

“Now, Hermione, Snape isn’t as bad as you might-“

“Isn’t that bad? Are you joking? For the past four years all he has done is made my life miserable! He told me that he couldn’t see the difference when Malfoy hexed my teeth to grow down past my chin. He calls me a know-it-all and a chit on a regular basis. He publicly humiliates me and makes it his mission to embarrass and harass me. How am I supposed to be married to HIM?”

Lupin looked scared as she raced through her thoughts. “I know it seems bad right now, but you have time. No one is expecting you to marry him right now.”

“But I am married to him right now! Is this what my entire mission is about? To save Professor Snape? He doesn’t deserve saving!”

“Hermione!” Lupin snapped. She jumped and her word diarrhea stopped flowing from her mouth, startled by his sharp tone. His face softened, “You don’t know enough about him to pass judgement. I know his actions and disposition make him…difficult to get along with. But you need to give him a chance. This is not the sole purpose of your mission.”

“Oh, so its not the only reason, but it is one of the reasons?” Hermione snapped back at him.

Lupin winced and seemed to be confused on how to continue without upsetting her. “Even if you don’t like this part of the mission, it needs to go this way to continue on for the rest of it to go as planned. You cannot change the outcome. Do you understand me?”

Hermione glared at him and she soon felt the prickling of tears forming in her eyes. She couldn’t let Lupin see her crying over her fate. She knew, deep down, that this was her destiny. And if this helped the Order succeed, then she knew she had to do it. But she couldn’t help her mind as it entertained the thought of how bitterly unfair this all seemed. This is not the life she had planned for herself. She didn’t want to marry her professor. That was just…wrong. He was so much older than her, and he was mean, and-and…

She turned on her heel and stormed into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She flung herself on the bed and let the tears that threatened to spill over in front of Lupin …. go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember to leave a comment down below if you are enjoying the story so far! Thank you for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I know it has been a long time since I posted, but I hope that this chapter will be worth the wait. It is a set up chapter, but hopefully it will make you excited about where the story is going. I have been super busy at work, but hopefully I'll have another chapter up tomorrow!

## Chapter 7

Hermione hugged Lupin goodbye that morning. Her eyes brimmed with tears and she warred with herself to get her arms to release the towering professor. He gave her a sad smile and gripped her upper arms tightly, reminding her to not underestimate herself. She was meant for this mission. She nodded and wiped her eyes and smiled before apparating away in a swirl of air, leaving the werewolf alone, once again.

She appeared in front of large iron gates that swung open for her when she neared them, revealing the grounds of Hogwarts. She trudged up the steep grounds through the deep snow of the highlands towards the snow-covered castle. The early morning sun glittered off the snow prettily, but the trek made her out of winded. She was reminded that she was out of shape, once again. However, this time, it didn’t result in her jumper being singed by one of Lupin’s hexes.

She quickly made her way through Hogwarts, using the secret corridors that she and boys had discovered in previous years. Twice, she had to press herself into the shadows and pray that she went unnoticed by a straggler who was hurrying somewhere, out of bed before curfew was lifted.

She heard the sharp steps of her head of house clicking purposefully down the hall and her heart jumped. She was nearly to the griffin which protected Dumbledore’s entrance when she heard the witch approaching. There was no where to hide, she had already been spotted.

“Miss Granger?” Her brisk, brogue rang out in the quiet corridor.

Hermione turned around to face Minerva McGonagall, “Good morning, professor.” She said with a small smile.

“What are doing out of bed, Granger?” Her lips drawn into a thin line of disapproval.

Hermione looked wildly for an excuse to be at the headmaster’s door until she leveled her gaze with the professor, “I was just doing my prefect rounds and I saw Peeve’s had made an awful mess in the astronomy tower. I cleaned it up, but I was going to talk to Professor Dumbledore about it, since this is the third time this month he has done this. I’ve tried talking to him, professor, but he-“

“I will talk to Peeves, Miss Granger. Professor Dumbledore has enough on his plate right now.”

“Is there something going on, Professor?”

McGonagall’s features hardened into strict lines, “That is none of your concern. Now, off you go, Granger. I’ll have a word with Peeves.”

Hermione nodded and turned down the hall and headed back to a corridor she knew she wouldn’t be seen readily from. She slid down the rough stone walls and sat on the cold stone and waited. McGonagall had gone into Dumbledore’s office what seemed like forever ago. Her back was stiff and her butt was asleep. She felt pins and needles in her legs and when she finally heard her professor’s clipped footsteps coming from Dumbledore’s office, she felt like she could barely stand. Her hip clicked as she stood up, but she quickly hurried up the spiral staircase to Dumbledore’s office.

“I’m sorry I’m late, sir, I ran into Professor McGonagall.”

Dumbledore smiled at her and gestured for her to have a seat in front of him at his desk. He offered her a glistening bowl of brightly colored wrapped candies that she politely refused before taking his own and popping it into his mouth.

“I had to kind of…lie to her. So Peeves may be in a bit of undeserved trouble because of me.” Hermione looked guiltily down at her hands fidgeting in her lap.

Dumbledore chuckled, “I think that is the first time someone has said ‘Peeves’ and ‘undeserved’ in the same breath, Miss Granger. I will straighten it out, not to worry.” He said with a wave of his graceful hand. “I hear from Remus that I have some congratulating to do! You did very well on both your OWL’s and NEWT’s. I had every confidence that you would do so, Miss Granger.”

Dumbledore handed her an already opened parchment that had been officially stamped by the ministry. Hermione’s eyes quickly skimmed over the pages as she took in the scores that she had worked on so tirelessly for the past several months. Her face lit up with relief and she held the papers to her chest and let out a sigh of contentment. Dumbledore laughed at her reaction, “It seems Remus was unable to wait to see what scores you received. He wants you to know how proud he is and that he never doubted you for a minute.”

Hermione smiled and laughed, thinking about Remus excitedly opening her scores when they arrived to the shack this morning while she was probably waiting for McGonagall to come out of this very office. He had worked just as hard for these scores, of course he was excited to see her results. Her first thought was that she couldn’t wait to tell her parents, however, her heart sank when she realized she wouldn’t get that opportunity for another 2 and half years.

Dumbledore’s face also sobered into seriousness. “Remus also told me that you learned some time sensitive information too early.”

Hermione’s eyes snapped to his clear blue ones. Her brown eyes hard with certainty. “I did. And I was not happy about the news at first. But after giving it some thought…a lot of thought actually, I realized that I have worked too hard to do what the order needs me to do to stop now. If this is what I need to do, then I will marry Snape.”

Dumbledore learned back in his wingback chair, his long fingers steepled together. His eyes seemed to bore into hers as he contemplated something for a long time before he finally said, “I was going to send you to a different place, but seeing as you already know this information, I think I am going to send you back to a different time. But I warn you, Miss Granger, it is imperative that you keep your identity a secret if you go here. No one can know your true identity and you need to keep a physical glamor on or the results could be dire. Do you understand me?”

Hermione nodded tentatively. Dumbledore leaned forward and scribbled something down on a parchment and folded it, sealed it with wax and handed it to her. She stuffed it into the pocket of her hoodie and steeled herself. Dumbledore told her what she would be doing next and it shocked her. She would be studying under Madame Pomphrey, but she would be going extremely far back in time to do it. Pomphrey was not apart of the Order and couldn’t be trusted with information, so she needed to go back to a time when she couldn’t accidentally slip up like she had with Lupin. However, she argued that Snape was really the reason anything was found out. Dumbledore amended her marks to the proper year, so she would continue on as Acacia Cresswell in this timeline.

Dumbledore helped her change her clothes and hair to match the time she would be going back to and Hermione couldn’t help but let out a bark of laughter when she saw what she was wearing. A white knee-length dress that was belted at her waist with long sleeves and a buttoned front and rounded collar. The sleeves were tightly cuffed and the top was cut with vertical darts to the belt. A green patch that had a bone and wand crossed was sewn on the left side of the dress. The patch read _St. Mungo’s Healer in Training._

Gone were Hermione’s brown curls, replaced by straight, blonde hair that was fine and silky to the touch. She wasn’t sure how she was going to get it to stay in an elastic. Everything else about her remained the same, thankfully. But the hair was a big enough change that she was shocked by her appearance. Blonde wasn’t as bad of a look on her as she thought it would’ve been.

“Are you ready, Miss Granger?” Dumbledore asked, after she had thoroughly checked every angle of herself out in the mirror of his pensive.

“Hm? Oh! Yes!” She slipped time turner over her head, not used to not having to struggle with getting it out from under her hair and handed it over to him. He pointed his wand at it and she watched as it spun erratically in his hand until finally coming to a stop. He held it out to her and she reached out for it.

“Remember what I said to you, Miss Granger. You have one year. Don’t be late.”

Hermione grabbed the small silver pendant and was immediately sucked through time. She was whipped this way and that, her lungs burning with the pressure of turning back time at such a large interval. She could see images of people moving rapidly around her, too quickly to make any one thing out. Everything was a blur and she was starting to get dizzy. She clenched her eyes shut, willing for the spinning sensation to stop.

After what seemed like forever, the world finally came to a stop and she was still in Dumbledore’s office. Actually, a significantly younger Dumbledore stood in front of her in a smart three piece suit and patent leather shoes. His hair was short and slicked back and his bear was tight to his face. Where was the jewel toned, glittering robes and pointed hat she had grown accustomed to? And when did he decide that was better look?

“Merlin’s beard! Are you alright?” Dumbledore came from behind his desk toward her.

Hermione’s eyebrows pinched together and she staggered forward before falling to her knees in front of the professor and unceremoniously throwing up on his shining, leather shoes. Hermione turned beet red and quickly scrugified his shoes, apologizing profusely as she did so.

Dumbledore helped her up and took the note she handed him. He broke the seal, his eyebrows raised and read through the note he had written himself. After a few moments he took a deep breath and looked at Hermione with and smiled, “Well, welcome back to Hogwarts.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember to leave a comment down below if you are enjoying the story so far! Thank you for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the lovely comments! I love reading them! I can't wait what you have to say about this new chapter. Happy reading!

## Chapter 8

Hermione’s stomach was in knots. Today was the day the students returned to Hogwarts after the summer break. She had been studiously following after Poppy Pomfrey all summer, taking notes and learning as much as she could possibly fit into her mind about healing. Dumbledore, being who he was, had arranged for her to take an expedited healer’s apprenticeship and she had spent much of her time, not unlike her previous semester at Hogwarts reading and practicing alongside Pomfrey. Pomfrey was much like her head of house, no nonsense and strict in her expectations. This was at odds with Lupin, who had been kind and considerate to her and would make a joke occasionally on one of his better days. He would read along with her and make conversation with her and push her to think creatively for solutions to work he gave her. Whereas, Pomfrey was straight from the books and wanted her to study and know the basics inside and out before she touched another human being. She would quiz Hermione and make little tsk-tsk noises if she answered something that wasn’t completely correct.

Hermione had arrived at Hogwarts last winter but had been hidden away in her books most of her time and didn’t come out from her rooms. However, this semester that was not an option.  
This semester, she would be doing her clinical, which meant she would be alongside Pomfrey healing the students of Hogwarts. Even the thought made Hermione shudder in dread. She felt the intense fear of her childhood creeping into her mind once again.

As a first year, she spent much of her time reading and researching not only because the subjects were fascinating for a muggle-born witch with newly found abilities. But because she had been failing almost all of her classes. Her grades were plummeting at an alarming rate and she felt like she was in a sinking boat with only a bucket to bail herself out. She flung herself into the library with an intensity that others found scary because she was terrified of losing this new world she so desperately wanted to be apart of. Going back to being just a plain, old muggle after knowing about what she could have been was not an option for her. She remembered fondly of a time when she told the boys to get to bed before they were all “killed, or worse, _expelled.”_ Her eyes growing huge at the thought of being kicked out of the magical world. That, to her, would be a fate worse than death.

However, this semester would be much different. There would be no hiding, no research, and much more interaction with students. Which is where the problem arose. When Dumbledore had sent her back in time, he didn’t just send her a few months or even a few years. He sent her to the year 1976. And she knew what and who this year entailed. Which was much of the reason she had made herself scarce these past few months.

Hermione’s quarters were near the hospital wing and were bright and airy in the late summer day. She had a fairly good sized collection of herbs and plants needed in healing potions and draughts growing in her windows that she needed to tend to before the feast tonight.

She pruned a few leaves from a plant beginning to trail out of her windowsill and took them over to workbench. She deftly minced them into even cuttings and added them into a bubbling potion. The potion let out a pink plume of smoke and she smiled to herself before stirring it and pointing her wand at the flame to dull the potion down to a steady simmer.

She looked at the clock and sighed, knowing that soon she would need to head to the great hall for the beginning of term feast. She had tried to distract herself all day by making more potions for the infirmary, but the stores were starting to overflow with backstock from her superfluous brewing.

Hermione decided now was as good a time as any. Checking over herself in the mirror one last time, she made her way out of her rooms and towards the infirmary. Her heels clicked on the stone floor as she walked down the empty halls of Hogwarts, soon to bustling with children. One could only hope that the hospital wing would stay empty for a while, but seeing as James Potter and Sirius Black would be attending, there was nothing certain.

“Ah, there you are dear! I was beginning to worry you were going to miss dinner.” Pomfrey was bustling about the infirmary, flicking her wand as she went. “Would you mind helping me finish with this paperwork before we head off?” She shoved a monstrous pile of papers into Hermione’s arms.

Hermione headed off towards the office and flicked her wand, the papers sorting themselves as they settled neatly into their files. She watched out of the office windows as the older witch flitted from one end of the wing to the other. 

After the older witch finished running about, they finally made their way down to the great hall. Hermione wasn’t used to using the corridor that lead to high table the professors sat at. She wasn’t used to not coming with Harry and Ron on the train on opening nights. And she definitely wasn’t used to seeing a young Dumbledore in dress robes sitting only a few chairs down from her.

Slowly, she watched as students started to fill in the great hall. The noise of the hall started climbing and before she knew it, her thoughts were drowned out by all of the commotion and excited chatter.

She heard a bark of laughter then saw the familiar face of Sirius Black appear around the entry way. His face was much younger, even though he was only twenty some years younger here than in her time. His time in Azkaban had dulled the liveliness that glittered in his devilish grey eyes. His hair hung down to his shoulders in soft tendrils of black that Hermione knew would be streaked with grey in a few years. This Sirius was a year older than her and she understood the rumors of him being a lady’s man back in his day. He walked with an effortless confidence and his smile lit up his features, something she rarely saw from the Sirius of her time. She knew what Azkaban would do to him and wanted to protect him, but quelled her Gryffindor urge to protect what was hers.

Following closely beside Sirius was, who she could only assume, was James Potter. He looked almost the same as her Harry, except where Harry was a little more tentative and reserved, James was robust and exuberant. He was laughing along with Sirius about something, the pair made her a little reserved feeling. James also had an effortless confidence, but where Sirius seemed to pull his from charm, James seemed to pull his from a sense of self. His hair was jet black and messy like Harry’s and she had the urge to try to comb it down into place for him like she did for her best friend, but knew they were not the same person. Her heart ached at the sight of him though. It really was almost like looking at a clone of him.

Following behind them was a tall, lean boy who was bent slightly in conversation with a shorter, red headed witch. The wizard, she recognized immediately, was Professor Lupin. He had a youthful look about him as well, less scarring crossing his features and the lines of worry hadn’t marred his forehead yet. His robes hung off of his lean frame, and she could see that someone had patched them a few times. He was giving the witch the same small smile that she had received so many times from him and her heart panged. She hadn’t realized until now how close she had become to the professor and just how much she missed his company. He had made this process so much easier for her and now that she was truly alone, she wished she could reach out to him for his friendship once again.

The witch who he was talking to was waving her hands excitedly as she explained something to the towering wizard, her features lighting up as she talked with him. Her hair was a dark auburn that fell to her shoulders and her green eyes were lit up with excitement. She knew that look, she had seen it so many times on her friend’s face when he talked about quidditch. She fought back a smile and hid it by taking a sip of her pumpkin juice. Lupin was doing a great job of feigning interest.

Scurrying behind the group was a rotund boy who had his hair slicked back, but it was still falling from its hardened place to get in his face. His brow was heavy and he had a thick build, making his gait clumsy and hard-fell. He was the shortest of the boys and the most forgettable of the lot. Hermione, however, tracked him with hawk-like precision. This boy would end up causing the death of her best friend's parents and cause him a life of suffering with Dursley's. Plus, he had almost gotten her, Harry, and Ron killed by Lupin. Peter Pettigrew may be a forgettable looking boy, but he would turn out to ruin many lives and Hermione wanted to make him pay for it.

Hermione recognized a couple other faces as they trailed in but couldn’t help staring at the Marauders. She had to check herself a few times to make sure she wasn’t giving off creepy adult syndrome. She had to remind herself that in this time, she was supposed to be older and graduated, she couldn’t be caught staring at children. Especially on her first night with them.

That plan went to shit when her husband walked into the room. The thought of calling Professor Snape her husband still made her ill and seeing him in person for the first time in a year was startling. She nearly spat out her pumpkin juice. She ended up spluttering and coughing rather ungracefully, causing Pomfrey and Professor Flitwick to ask if she was alright. She had forgotten he would be a seventh year this year as well.

Her eyes locked with his dark ones as he walked in flagged by two boys who she didn’t know. His hair hung in sheets of black around his sallow face, the bags under his eyes still pronounced. He looked…exhausted. Hermione thought back, trying to remember what she knew of Snape’s home life, but she really didn’t know anything about him. She assumed he was a pure-blood and that he came from a decent home life like the Malfoys who he associated with in her real time line. He certainly seemed to look down at her for her blood status, so she knew he wasn’t muggle-born. She would have assumed he would be well rested over the summer. She didn’t understand why he looked like he hadn’t slept in months.

His robes seemed to hang off of his wiry form as well, and he walked like he was carrying the world on his shoulders. Hermione watched as one of the boys who was walking with him nudged him in the ribs and he looked down at something he was showing him. Hermione continued to rake her eyes over his slender form, his robes were tattered and wrinkled, like they were hand-me-downs that had been passed one too many times. His large hands closed over the paper the boy held out to him and he slid it into his pants pocket. His eyes found hers again and slid into slits. He held her gaze and Hermione’s heart pounded, not daring to look away, but knowing she needed to end this staring competition. He suddenly whipped his head around and followed his friends to the Slytherin table to sit down.

Hermione made sure to keep her eyes off the students as much as possible throughout the rest of the meal. She listened to the beginning of term speech with rapt attention, but was shocked when she was introduced to the room of students. She awkwardly stood and gave a small wave as Dumbledore explained that she was doing her apprenticeship under Madame Pomfrey and would be leaving them after the Holidays.

After dinner, she quickly made to exit, but was pulled aside by Professor Flitwick, “Acacia! Heading to bed so soon?”

Hermione was taken aback by a professor wanting to talk to her and almost didn’t think he was even addressing her until she felt his hand on her elbow. “Oh! Um, yes. I’m rather tired. I was brewing early this morning so-“

“Ah, yes, Poppy told me all about how skilled you are in potions. What other classes were you proficient in while you were here, my dear? I read you were in my house, and I’m sorry to say I don’t quite remember you…”

Hermione plastered a fake smile on her face, “That’s alright, I actually finished my studies at Beauxbatons, but I started off at Hogwarts. My parents transferred to France for work during my third year. I just decided to take my tests for both England and France because I knew I wanted to come back here for my schooling.”

Flitwick seemed to take this quick lie, but Hermione knew he was still a little apprehensive. She gave him another dazzling smile before changing the subject to charms, getting his mind off her. However, she could feel eyes on her as the students exited the great hall. She glanced over he shoulder and saw Snape’s dark eyes burning into her back with an intense look on his face. She had no idea what the face was about, but when she met his eyes she felt a slam of something hitting her consciousness. She clenched her eyes shut and brought her hand up to her forehead.

“Are you quite alright, Miss Cresswell?”

Hermione hissed as she focused on bringing her mental shields down. Snape was trying to see in her mind. And teenage Snape was much less inconspicuous than thirty-year-old Snape was. “Yes, I’ve just got a migraine. I think I need to go to bed. We will talk soon though, okay?”

Hermione hurried through the corridor and quickly to her rooms. What had Snape seen? Anything important? What was she going to do about this? He couldn’t constantly be accosting her as she tried to study here and keep up this secret. Hermione just hoped he hadn’t seen anything sensitive that could hurt her mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember to leave a comment down below if you are enjoying the story so far! Thank you for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a rough time writing this chapter, but the next one is going much smoother. Set up chapters are really difficult for me to write. At any rate, I hope you are all doing well and enjoying so far. Happy reading!

## Chapter 9

There was an intense wailing and the sound of footsteps hurrying down the corridor that jolted Hermione from her paperwork. Her heart thundered in her chest and she quickly ran out of the office she now shared with Madame Pomfrey, her wand tip emitting the only light in the darkened infirmary. A month into the semester and she was put on night duties on the weekends and she wasn’t all that unhappy about this. She got the chance to look over her books and catch up on paperwork that her day shift at the infirmary didn’t allow for. There was almost always a student who needed a pepper up potion or sleeping drought that she had to tend to. Not to mention the students who were brutally injured after quidditch during the week. Then there were students who were injured in classes or detention. She could go on and on listing off all of the injuries she saw during the normal school day. The quiet night shift was a reprieve.

However, it looked like she wasn’t going to be getting her quiet night as she saw the group of boys coming in. Hermione flicked her wand and a low light lit the hospital wing and she saw the damage that had been done. Sirius’ grey eyes were wide as they met hers and James was muttering some sort of encouragement. James was holding up a limp, blood-covered Lupin.

Hermione rushed to his side and slipped in a pool of blood as she ran to him. She looked in his eyes and they were dilated almost to the point of not being able to see the iris anymore and he was panting like he had just run a marathon. She could tell he was coming down from turning.

“Mobilicorpus.” Hermione levitated the boy onto one of the hospital beds, the blood immediately blooming onto the white linen sheets. Hermione cast a diagnostic spell and saw he was bleeding from being impaled in the side, by what, she couldn’t say. It looked rather jagged and the other boys had obviously pulled it from him instead of bringing him to her straight away. “He was stabbed by something? You should never pull out the object.” She glanced at Sirius and James who just looked at her like gaping fish.

“You’re not going to ask us what happened?” James asked incredulously.

“Would you tell me the truth if I did?” Hermione shot back at him with a glare. She caught Sirius’ subtle shrug and nod to his friend.

She accioed a phial from the stores in the office and unstoppered it. Lupin convulsed like a rabid animal and darted to get off of the bed. Sirius and James caught him just in time and forced him back down on the bed, Hermione gave them a thankful look before accioing another phial of calming drought and grabbed her young-looking professor by the chin and forced his head back.

“You’re going to be alright, Moony, just take the potion. This is almost over. Just let her help, man.” Sirius calmly tried to coax Lupin into opening his mouth, but Lupin’s jaw muscles contracted with the strength he had from clenching his teeth shut.

Hermione gave James a ‘here goes’ look before pressing her fingers down on either side of Lupin’s face and quickly dumping the phial down his throat then clasping her hand over his mouth immediately so that he couldn’t spit it out. After a couple moments of struggle, Lupin’s body started to relax and his eyelids started to droop.

James and Sirius slowly let go of his limbs and Hermione pressed another phial to his mouth and then started to work on mending his injury. She pulled the inner tissues together first, making sure the blood stopped rushing from them before moving to his skin and patching that up so that there was only a large, raised, pink line left.

“He’s gonna be okay?” James asked, concern etched into his features.

“Yes, he’ll be fine. He will need to stay here for a while so that I can make sure that doesn’t give him any more trouble, but I’m sure I got everything sealed properly.” Hermione raised an eyebrow at the two boys who were still covered in Remus’ blood and dirt, “Now, you two best be off and get yourselves cleaned up before someone catches you out of bed after hours.” The boys stared at her, shocked before turning and making a run for it. She knew they must have used the invisibility cloak to get here undetected and was sure they were going to use it again. She was also sure they wouldn’t be heading straight to bed.

\- - -

Hermione kept Lupin in the infirmary for two days before she went to check on his vitals one last time. The hospital wing was empty and Pomfrey was off for the night, leaving Hermione to finish up with Lupin before she retired as well. He looked even more haggard than usual if that was even possible. He was still getting his color back from all the blood loss and his eyes were dull. The humor wasn’t there like it usually was.

She bent over him, pressing her fingers into his wrist. His soft eyes met hers and she gave him a small smile. She cast a diagnostic spell over his abdomen to make sure all his organs were still functioning properly and then lifted his gown to inspect how the mark where he was impaled was healing. It looked tender, but it was still closed, which is how the magic was supposed to work.

She cleared her throat before saying, “Have you ever heard of the spell _sarcio pellis_?”

Lupin’s brow furrowed and he shook his head.

“I had a friend who used to have injuries much like your own,” Hermione indicated to the many scars criss crossing his body from his monthly changes. Lupin’s eyes narrowed slightly and Hermione gave him a small smile. “If you run your wand along the cuts and say that spell, the skin will knit together without scarring. It only works on superficial cuts though. Anything deeper requires something more. But I thought you may be interested in knowing.” Hermione said with a small shrug.

“Yes, I’ll-I’ll have to try that the next time I…get a cut.” Lupin said, still eyeing her suspiciously.

Hermione smiled at him, “Well, Remus, I think you are finally free to go. Just try not to get impaled again.” Hermione laughed, but she kind of meant it seriously. If they hadn’t gotten him to her any quicker, he could’ve bled out. Hermione accioed his clothes and gave them to him. “I’m sure your friends will be thrilled to see you out of the hospital wing again.”

Lupin sighed and took the clothes from her, “Yes, just in time for class to start tomorrow morning.”

Hermione winked at him, “You’re welcome, Mr. Lupin.” She turned and went back to her office to gather her things and let him change. When she came back out he was gone. She flicked her wand and the sheets changed themselves on the bed he had been in. She scrugified the area he was in and smiled to herself remembering when Lupin had taught her that spell. _You’re a liar, Professor. You didn’t teach yourself that spell out of a book your first year. I taught it to you your seventh year._ Hermione chuckled to herself at the thought.

\- - -

Hermione woke to a loud rapping at her window. She grimaced and buried her head under her pillow angrily. Today was one of her few days off and all she wanted to do was sleep in. TAP TAP TAP TAP! She growled in a frustrated huff of anger and threw her blankets off her. The owl chirped happily when it saw her get up from bed and bob its head eagerly as she drew near.

She flung the window open angrily and the bird hopped in happily, hooting in a cheerful way as she glared at it. It stuck its little, scaly leg out for her to untie the parchment and then bobbed its head around looking for a pet or some sort of praise. Hermione grudgingly patted its feathered head and it flew with a happy hoot from her sill.

She saw the sealed wax and knew it was from Professor Dumbledore. Of course, that was his bird, she should have known with how happy it seemed to be to wake her up. She broke the seal and read the note:

_Miss Cresswell,_

_I would like to meet with you in my office at 10am today to see how you are doing. The password is ‘tickled pears.’_

_-A. Dumbledore_

Hermione cast a tempus charm and saw it was barely 6am! She growled and then climbed back into bed, letting the last couple of hours of sleep claim her.

\- - -

Hermione finally dragged herself out of bed around nine and got ready for her meeting with Dumbledore. She washed her hair with potions she had come up with herself that made her curls soft and less frizzy. She had grown to like her hair the more she experimented with it and now that she had it tamed into soft, bouncy curls; she was rather fond. Unfortunately for her, she had to glamor herself and her hair to make her features less recognizable and her hair sleek and blonde. She sprayed herself with her favorite perfume and then sighed as she looked at the reflection that looked vaguely like her. This is what Dumbledore thought was safe, so she needed to honor it. Even if it did get old.

She left her rooms and started to make her way across the castle to the Professor’s office, taking the changing staircases two steps at a time. She hurried down corridors, lost in her thoughts and not paying attention to her surroundings. She rounded a corner and suddenly collided with a hard body and was knocked on her ass.

“What in the fu- , Miss Cresswell?” Severus Snape towered over her, a perplexed look on his face.

Hermione grumbled as she started to get up then saw his out-stretched hand and looked at it then up to him, half expecting him to retract it with a snide comment. She carefully took his hand and let him pull her easily to her feet. “Thank you, M-Mr. Snape.” Hermione stuttered on his title, so used to calling him professor that mister sounded foreign on her tongue.

When he continued to stand in front of her path, she looked up at him questioningly and immediately felt his magic slide into her mind. He was trying to be more subtle this time, but it still hit her roughly and slithered through her mind like a snake. His magic pushed through her thoughts where there was no room for it to go, chaffing her. She threw up her defenses with immense difficulty, making her feel weak.

His hands wrapped around her arms to steady her as she swayed and his eyes looked deeply into hers. It was all she could see, her mind going into tunnel vision. His eyes were exceptionally dark; black and endless. “Miss Cresswell?”

Hermione could almost feel the vibration from the deep timbre of his voice. His voice really was soothingly deep. She pulled herself from her stupor and gripped his arms tightly, pushing away from him quickly. Her heart was thumping loudly in her ears, her body suddenly felt frozen in the fear of what he could have seen in her mind. She felt sick. Terror crossed her features and she quickly slipped around him and hurried down the hall. She gave him a frightened look over her shoulder and saw he was standing in the corridor watching her leave, a confused look on his face.

Hermione ran quickly through the corridors, until she found herself outside of Dumbledore’s office. She scrubbed her hands over her face and caught her breath. She needed to get this situation with Snape under control before he blew her entire mission and altered the timeline completely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment down below if you are enjoying the story so far! Thank you for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

## Chapter 10

Hermione’s heart was still beating wildly in her chest as she climbed the steps to Dumbledore’s office and knocked on the door. The door opened magically on its own and she saw Dumbledore seated behind his desk, his light from the large windows behind him pouring into the large room, shrouding him in a halo of golden morning light. He looked up at her with a smile and gestured for her to come in and take a seat across from him. It was a bit off-putting seeing the auburn streaks in his hair and his hands that were wrinkled and spotted from age, strong but weathered from use in this time. His eyes still looked the same though, piercing blue lit with a mischievous inner spirit.

She sat across from him and watched as a gold instrument spun rather violently on his desk. He watched her before saying, “Don’t mind that. How have you been, Miss Cresswell? Have you been settling into Hogwarts well?”

Hermione hesitated, not knowing how much she wanted to say to the headmaster. “I have been enjoying my time here. I am learning so much, I really can’t thank you enough for letting me take my apprenticeship here under such…different circumstances.”

“I am glad to hear it. How are your studies going?”

“Really well, sir. I feel very comfortable with my progress. Madame Pomfrey is a great teacher.” Hermione smiled at him at this. She really was learning a lot from the witch.

“I have noticed you don’t seem to come to many meals in the great hall, I hope Poppy isn’t keeping you so busy you can’t eat.” He said with a knowing smile.

Hermione laughed, “Oh no! I just prefer to get my work done and eat at the same time. I’ll have to make it to dinner more often.”

“Good!” Dumbledore paused and looked at the witch steadily, “So, everything has been going well for you? No qualms you want to address?” Hermione laughed and shook her head. The headmaster seemed to be staring into her soul. “Is there anything you wish to tell me?”

Hermione hesitated and as she did, the spinning object stopped abruptly and pointed directly at her. Both her and the headmaster’s eyes shot to the object that was straining as it pointed at her before meeting each other across the desk that, originally seemed huge, now seemed impossibly small.

“I know more than you think I do, Miss Granger. You don’t have to worry about upsetting the timeline by telling me too much.” Dumbledore said, his lips quirking into a small smile at her look of utter shock.

“How do you know my name?”

“I wrote it down in the note I sent myself. And I told myself to help you in whatever way you asked without question. So, I’m asking you, is there something you wish to tell me, Miss Granger?”

Hermione sighed and slumped in the chair, putting her head in her hands before saying, “I need someone to teach me occlumency, sir.” She looked at him from between her fingers covering her face, gauging his reaction.

The headmaster looked…impassive. “I can teach you occlumency. Tell me, Miss Granger, what will this be used for?”

Hermione looked at him soberly, straightening in her chair. “The second wizarding war. It is important that certain people in this time don’t know things that I know and they seem to think it is fine to waltz into people’s minds whenever they please.” Hermione ended it on an annoyed note and she saw Dumbledore’s eyes twinkle.

“Who is using legilimency on you?”

Hermione’s eyes narrowed, “I can’t tell you that.”

Dumbledore raised his hands in a mock surrender, “Okay. We will start your lessons Thursday. You don’t have a night shift at the infirmary then, correct?” Hermione nodded. “Let me know if there is anything else I can do in the mean time to make your stay here easier.”

“Thank you, Headmaster.”

\- - -

Hermione grimaced as the rain started to come down in sheets onto the stands of the quidditch pitch. Today was the first match of the season and it was going to be a wet game. Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff. She wasn’t required to be at this game, as it was her day off, but she went to show support anyway…and was regretting it. The rain was bone-chilling and she didn’t need to get sick on top of all of her other responsibilities.

She looked around her in the teacher stands to see if anyone was paying attention to what she was doing and saw that no one was. Everyone was focused on the game, as they should be. James Potter really was an amazing seeker and getting to watch him play would have been astonishing had the sheets of rain not made the task impossible. Hermione knew this wasn’t the only game she would get to see and vowed she would watch a match for Harry. This was just not going to be the one.

She excused herself as she pushed through the stand of teachers and towards the rickety exit. She hurried down the wooden stairs, drops of water falling onto her head even from inside the watch tower, and out onto the lawn. If she hurried, she would maybe have enough time to get some ingredients from the greenhouses and be able to brew a bit this afternoon yet.

She trudged across the lawn, the grass slippery and spongey under her feet. Rain soaked through her clothes and settled into her skin, making the tips of her fingers wrinkled and pruney. She was thankful she wasn’t wearing her white uniform in this torrent of rain, otherwise it could be quite the show.

As she neared the green houses, she decided to head into one that she knew would have the most mature plants for harvesting ingredients from. She quickly ran into the glass building and shut the door with a hard snap! She sighed as she felt the warm, moist air hit her.

“Miss Cresswell?”

Hermione yelped and spun around, her wand drawn. Snape was standing not far from her, bent over one of the plants. She sighed in relief and lowered her wand, but then remembered he was not the most pleasant person to be around in any timeline and her back stiffened at the memory of him catching her in the hallway yesterday. “Um, hi, Severus. What are you doing in here?”

Snape’s eyes narrowed and he straightened, “I’m a seventh year, I’m allowed to be in here.”

Hermione raised her hands in defense, “I know you are, I’m just trying to be friendly.”

He glared at her before he seemed to accept her answer. “I’m gathering supplies for a potion I’m brewing.”

She nodded and took off her cloak to hang it on the door next to his, “I’m planning on doing the same thing.” She smiled at him over her shoulder, “Maybe we could help each other out on the shared ingredients so that we aren’t in here all afternoon harvesting?” Hermione walked over to him and stood next to him, eyeing the plant he was taking cuttings from. She could feel his eyes on her as she carefully harvested the seeds from the deep red flower and added it to his pile of seeds. “If you put pressure on the filament, the seeds will loosen and it will take you less time than plucking one by one.”

Snape gave her a look that she couldn’t decipher. He just continued to stare at her.

Hermione fidgeted under his intense gaze. She couldn’t remember ever seeing this look on his face before, and even though he was her age now, it didn’t make his gaze any less penetrating. “Or we could just harvest our own ingredients.” Hermione gave him a small smile.

Snape pulled his wand out and Hermione’s face fell and before she could do anything, streams of hot air whipped at her skin and blew her hair back. Hermione looked confused down at her now dry clothes then back up at Severus. “You were dripping on the plants.”

Hermione’s brows pulled together, “Oh.”

He turned back to the plant and started harvesting the seeds like she showed him and she stood there, watching his hands massage the filament carefully and the seeds loosened and fell before he levitated them into his little pile. “Well? Are you going to help me or are you going to stand there all day staring?” He snapped at her.

Hermione quickly stepped back to her place at his side and fell into a working silence with him, harvesting from the plants. The rain pounded on the glass of the greenhouse and made for a relaxing background noise to go along with the occasional snipping noises coming from their wands as they cut off bits of plants.

After several hours of working side by side, the pair made their way back to the castle and to the infirmary to divvy up their stock. They laid out their hoard and started to bottle up everything and Hermione eyed him carefully.

She tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and cleared her throat. “You know, I have a room I use for brewing my own potions that is my own. If you ever need a place to brew that is more secluded than the common rooms, I would be happy to let you use mine.”

Snape’s sure and exacting movements as he divided the cuttings of the shrivelfig faltered. He paused for a moment and she could feel his eyes on her, even though he was hiding his face behind a curtain of black hair.

His body stiffened and she could tell he wasn’t sure how to proceed. “Just let me know if you ever need it. I don’t mind sharing with people who are competent and respectful of the materials.” She gave him a small smile.

He nodded his head and continued on his task stiffly. Almost like he was worried he was going to make contact with her as they worked around each other.

Suddenly there was a commotion and most of the Gryffindor quidditch team poured through the doors of the hospital wing. Hermione quickly joined Pomfrey’s side and saw she was helping James whose face was covered in his own blood, though he was smiling through it.

“What happened?” Hermione asked calmly.

James’ eyes went from her to Snape who was behind her, watching as the team crowded around their star player. “Oi! Is that you, Snivelly? Whatchya doin’ here, mate? This place is for people who see enough action to get hurt. Do you know anything about getting action, Snivelous?”

Hermione felt magic crackle from not far behind her. “Watch your tongue, Potter, or I’ll make the rest of you match your bloody face!” Snape ground out.

“Enough! Everyone who is not injured, out of my infirmary!” Madame Pomfrey shooed everyone out.

Hermione watched as she quickly mended James’ broken nose with a sickening crack and then scrugified his uniform. When Madame Pomfrey had left to put something away, James snuck up behind Hermione and startled her, “What were you doing with Snape?”

She turned to James and saw Harry for a second. It disturbed her to see him but know it wasn’t actually him. They really could have been twins. “That’s really none of your business, is it?”

James leaned against the table she was cleaning up from their supplies, “I just want to warn you, he’s not a nice guy. I know you’re our age, so I’m just trying to look out for your best interests. He’s bad news, Cresswell.”

Hermione restrained herself from rolling her eyes straight out of her head, “I can look out for myself, thanks.”

“Alright, alright. Just trying to do the gentlemanly thing.” He gave her a smile and then gestured to the ingredients she was holding, “What’s all that?”

“Oh, just some ingredients I need to restock our stores of potions.”

James’ face scrunched up in distaste, “I’ve never been very good at potions.”

Hermoine snorted and said under her breath, “Neither is your son.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing!”

James smiled at her again, “Listen, a few of us are going to the Hogs Head next weekend if you want to join. Remus said he wants to buy you a butterbeer for teaching him that spell.”

Hermione considered turning him down. She didn’t want to make friends in this timeline and mess up anything in the future. But one night of fun wouldn’t hurt, right? She hadn’t been out in almost two years and she missed hanging out with friends, even if these technically weren’t hers. Plus, it would make Harry’s day to know she would be hanging out with his parents. “Uh, sure! I’ll go.”

“Brilliant! I’ll let him know! I’ve got to get going, but I’ll see you around, Cresswell.” He pointed at her as he walked backwards towards the exit. He turned after she waved and left the hospital wing.

Well this was just great. Now she was going to have to balance a social life on top of everything else she had going on right now. She shook her head at her stupidity and boxed up the ingredients that belonged to Severus. She would have to give them to him next time she saw him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am loving reading all of your comments! Thank you so much if you have taken the time to leave a comment, I really appreciate each and every one! I hope you enjoy the chapter, happy reading!

## Chapter 11

Hermione looked down at the hand that brushed hers gently, on accident or on purpose, she wasn’t sure. She continued stirring her potion but soon felt the large hand pressing gently into hers and she looked down at it then slowly up to a black clad wrist and then up the long arm to a shoulder that black hair touched as it covered the face of Severus Snape. His black eyes met hers and she felt his hands slide up her arms and grip her forearm, pulling her to him firmly. Her breath hitched in her throat as her body hit his hard form.

Her eyes widened at his harsh handling of her. She could smell his cologne, a rich a woody scent that filled her senses. He gripped her chin in one hand and forced her to look into the endless black pools of his dark eyes. “Why do you use a glamour? What are you trying to hide?”

Hermione felt like she was floating, his voice was surrounding her in its deep waves. She opened her mouth to protest his rough handling of her and started to twist out of his grasp, but his hands pulled her to him closer, his grip tight on her upper arms. “I-I can’t tell you that, Severus.”

He brushed her blonde hair behind her ear and Hermione looked up into his eyes, “Why not? Don’t you trust me?”

Hermione warred with herself. This was her future husband, and Dumbledore trusted him, didn’t he? Wasn’t that enough to trust him? His thumbs traced little circles around her pulse points in her wrists and his eyes glittered. “I-I guess I do…”

Snape’s lips quirked up into a smirk as he stared down at her like a hungry wolf about to eat his prey. Hermione’s throat had gone dry. “Show yourself, Cresswell.”

_Cresswell?_ The name jarred Hermione. Her brows furrowed and she felt something snap and she was flung back into consciousness, sitting straight up in bed panting furiously. Her body covered in a sheen of slick sweat like she had run a marathon. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest and her hand was shaking as she clumsily searched her nightstand for her wand to light up her room, half expecting Snape to be standing in there with her.

When she saw he was no where in sight, she took a deep breath and laid back down in bed, forcing herself to go back to sleep. Hoping she wouldn’t have another dream like that one ever again.

\- - -

Hermione helped Pomfrey with an influx of first years who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time in potions class when a cauldron exploded and a few came out of it with some nasty burns from the bubbling liquid splattering onto them. She realized she quite liked working with children, they were cute at this age. Still innocent, it wasn’t until third year that things went downhill.

The students had to stay in the hospital wing over night under Pomfrey’s care since she had the night off and tonight was the first night of her lessons with Dumbledore. She was anxious about it and the time seemed to go slowly all day until the hour was finally upon her.

She walked the halls slowly, trying to take her time to Dumbledore’s office, knowing she was going to be absurdly early. She didn’t want to stand outside of his office for a half hour like some sort of weird stalker.

As she turned down a corridor, she passed a tall boy who walked the opposite direction with his nose buried in a book and she did a double take. “Lupin?”

The boy stopped and turned around with a confused look on his face before blushing, “Oh, good evening, Miss Cresswell. I got a bit caught up in the library and lost track of time he said vaguely gesturing to the direction of the library from where he was heading away from.

Hermione smiled, “I can relate. I used to do the same thing all the time when I was in school.”

Lupin smiled at this. “You like to read?”

“Its pretty much all I do.” Hermione laughed. “I think I’ve been through almost all the books in the library at this point.”

“Maybe we could read together in the library sometime? I could use some conversation outside of quidditch and girls.”

Hermione assumed this was what James and Sirius must busy themselves with talking about. _Not unlike Harry and Ron_ she mused. “Um, yeah, maybe? I have a lot going on right now, but if I have some extra time, definitely!” To be honest, she missed the conversation with Lupin. Even if he was younger now and less knowledgeable, she was sure he would be just as fun to talk to.

Remus nodded, “Yes, of course. Your apprenticeship has to be rigorous.”

“It is, but I look forward to seeing you guys this weekend at the Hog’s Head.” Hermione reassured him.

He seemed to light up at this. “Oh yeah, I was going to say-“

“ _Loony loony moony Lupin,_

_Out of bed past curfew, very naughty!_

_Talking to a girl with a grin,_

_Peevsey really should get him caughty!”_

Peeves floated over Lupin’s head singing loudly down the hall and Lupin’s face fell from excitement to embarrassment. “Is this really necessary, Peeves?”

Hermione had to hide the laughter that was threatening to bubble out of her. “Lay off him, Peeves. He’s heading to Gryffindor tower now.”

“I am?”

Hermione nodded and jerked her head for him to leave.

“Right, see you later-“ He was cut off again by a rather loud raspberry that Peeves was blowing at Hermione. “Bugger off, Peeves!”

The ghost made a loud, annoyed sigh before making the noise of a whoopee cushion as he swooped away. Hermione smiled and waved at Remus as he walked away, once again opening his book to resume his reading as he walked to Gryffindor tower.

Hermione soon found herself in front of the Headmaster’s door, knocking on it lightly. She was so nervous that she could barely breathe, but she trusted Dumbledore. He would never do anything on purpose to hurt her. The door magically swung open to reveal a dimly lit office. Hermione apprehensively walked into the office and saw that all the portraits were sleeping peacefully in their frames. She felt bad that they would be waking them like this.

Dumbledore rose from his high-backed chair behind his desk, smiling but looking tired. Hermione took her place across from him and refused his offering of candy. “I trust you’re doing well, Miss Granger?” Hermione nodded with a slight smile. She knew he was reading her nervous energy, but she couldn’t reign herself in. “I think it is best to start slowly with this, so I will attempt to enter your mind, and you will tell me when you think I am doing it.”

Hermione nodded her understanding and gripped the arms of her chair in preparation. His blue gaze met hers and she was suddenly thrown back in her chair by the push of magic on her mind. As quickly as it came, it was gone and she stared at him, confused. “Aren’t you going to try to see into my mind, sir?”

“Were you able to feel me enter your mind, Miss Granger?”

“Well, yes, but-“

She was cut off by another surge of magic, this one more subtle. It felt more like Severus’ magic, prodding uncomfortably at her mind but not entering. “Empty your thoughts of anything important. Think of the most mundane thing you possibly can. Imagine that taking up the entirety of your brain.” Another push of magic slithered into her mind, this similar to the last except he tried more forcefully to enter her thoughts. She tried remembering her ancient runes homework and imagined the essay she had done for it for her NEWT’s.

Dumbledore pressed harder and she felt her reserve cracking. She saw the time she fell in the driveway of her childhood home and chipped her tooth, her parents sweeping her off to their practice to fix it immediately. She focused on the first lecture Professor Lockhart had given on pixies and how enraptured he was with himself. Of course, her twelve year old mind had been enraptured with him too, but now she knew better. He droned on about himself and she regained control of her mind, pushing Dumbledore further away from the core of her memories.

Suddenly his magic was probing from a totally new angle and Hermione was caught off guard. Her eyes clenched shut in the effort to keep him out, her heart pounding and sweat forming on her brow. Images of her parents flashed before her eyes, elementary school before she came to Hogwarts, getting her letter to Hogwarts. Hermione fixated on the texture of the essay paper she loved to use. It was cold pressed and smooth, her quill easily sliding across the surface. The thought pushed him further away, but he doubled down.

He touched the memory of Snape pushing her, Harry, and Ron behind him as Lupin turned into a werewolf. Sirius’ large shaggy dog form reared up and she shut the thought down, imagining the smell of the freshly mown grass she used to wake up to on Saturday mornings when her dad would mow the lawn.

Snape’s black eyes glittered down at her as he smirked, “I see no difference.” Her hand came up to touch the teeth that had elongated past her chin and could feel the pinpricks of tears threaten her eyes. Malfoy’s smug face from behind him sent her over the edge and she whipped around, hiding her face in shame as she ran to the hospital wing.

The memory of Ron’s face when he saw her descending the stairs at the yule ball flashed in front of her eyes. His blue eyes growing and his face going red at the sight of her. Harry’s smile and laugh at Ron’s reaction as she threaded her arm through Viktor Krum’s and walked with him into the shimmering great hall.

Harry’s green eyes filled with anger and fear as he rounded on her and Ron when he came to Grimmauld place over the summer vacation before his ministry hearing. He snapped at them and Hermione felt the anxiety well up inside her and knew she needed to calm him down before he did something rash. She pulled Ron aside and came up with a plan on how they would handle talking to him when he got angry at them like that again. Ron agreeing that something needed to be said, but it had to be put delicately.

Hermione mustered up her strength and forced him out of her mind with a snap! Like a door was slammed shut on the Headmaster. She panted in her chair; the back of her neck dewy with sweat. Curls of hair stuck sickly to her fevered skin and she wiped at her brow. 

“That was a good first attempt, Miss Granger. Concentrate on blocking me out this time instead of trying to force me out after I’ve already gotten in. It will be much easier this way.” Dumbledore’s magic slithered into her mind and she forced all of her energy into blocking him out, but he pushed through. Memories flashing in her mind again.

\- - -

Hermione dragged herself to her rooms, tired and achy from the exertion of her lesson with the headmaster. The halls were almost pitch dark at this point of the night, her lesson lasting hours longer than what she had intended. Her feet dragged across the stone floor groggily as she neared her chambers.

She heard a commotion coming down the hall as she drew closer to her rooms and she reflexively hurried inside to get away from whatever was coming, but didn’t ward them off so that she could listen to what was passing in front of her rooms.

“Just drop him off at the hospital wing and let’s go!” A whispered shout came from not far down the hall from her rooms.

“We can’t just sneak him into the hospital wing without Pomfrey noticing us. And she will want to know how he got like this.” Another voice answered in a harsh tone.

There was a deep, guttural moan and a soft thud of something heavy being dropped. “Just leave him here, someone will find him. We can’t get caught with him like this.”

There was a hesitation and another moan of pain and then she heard the other voice quickly agree and the sound of footsteps retreating down the hall. She waited until she was sure they were gone before coming out of her rooms to the sound of a rattling, wet cough.

Severus Snape lay crumpled of the floor not far from her room. Blood smeared down the wall where whoever he was with had slid his body down and onto the floor. Hermione hurried over to him and grabbed his face, forcing his eyes open. His eyes rolled, unfocused.

She looked down and saw his sleeve was torn, and a curved, black line was on his forearm, stark against the alabaster of his skin. She pulled his sleeve up a bit more and saw the dark mark, bold as day, undulating under his skin. She pulled the fabric back over it, probably a bit rougher than necessary, and looked back at him.

“What did you get yourself into, Severus?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment down below if you are enjoying the story so far! Thank you for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise I will get back to the comments on the previous chapter, I just needed to get this chapter up before my laptop died this weekend. I forgot my charger, oops. I hope you enjoy the turn this chapter takes! Happy reading!

## Chapter 12

Hermione rushed to transfigure a coffee table into a proper hospital bed for Severus in her rooms and dimmed the lights as his body floated, unconscious, beside her. She knocked him out before floating him to her rooms and putting extra wards into place. His hand hung limply in space, a trail of blood dribbling sickly onto the stone of her floor with a soft drip, drip, drip….

She lowered his huge form onto the bed and quickly got to work, noticing his breathing was starting to quicken again. Her charm wasn’t going to hold for long, he was already rousing. She forced some pain potion down his throat before he could protest and watched as his stiffened muscles relaxed. She slowly ran her wand down his shirt, the buttons popping loose as she did and assessed the damage. He was a wreck of rotten flesh, burns, and cuts. She knew which side of the war he was on currently, so she knew he wasn’t in trouble for anything good. Whatever he had done, it was probably not to the satisfaction of his master.

The thought of this young boy kneeling before the Dark Lord made Hermione sick. She knew he wanted to be there, but she knew he would change sides eventually. Why? She didn’t know. But something had to set him over the edge and make him join Dumbledore, maybe this was his turning point. Hermione eyed the horrible mess that would take her hours to heal, she rather doubted that any amount of pain would make Severus Snape change alliances. No, he would need something close to him to change. And she really hadn’t seen much from her short time interacting with him.

She accioed a balm from her personal stores and anxiously eyed his unconscious face. She would need to apply this to all of his burns and it would be incredibly painful, surely he would wake up during this and be in a murderous fit. Maybe she should just knock him out for the duration of the healing? That was against the code of ethics, however.

She sighed and steeled her reserve. _You can do this. You are Hermione Jean Granger, brightest witch of your age. Severus Snape is not going to scare you into submission!_ She divested him of his shirt and pants and globbed the salve onto her fingers. Her eyes raked over his body and she quickly decided to start at his hands, which were horribly burned.

She gently lifted his hand into her own and started to massage the salve into his skin. His skin was papery and crisp, blood seeped onto her fingers and mixed into the salve as she massaged the magical potion in. She watched his dark brows pinch together and his lips purse in pain. As she massaged, the skin started to pull together and tender new skin formed where the burnt black was before. It shined in the dim light and she knew she would need to keep it moist over the next couple days, which meant she would have a surly roommate for a while.

She made her way up his arm and when she finished with that, she laid his arm out to the side, so she would have better access to his ribs. They were badly burned and had a deep cut running along them. She cast the spell she taught Lupin on the cut and began to massage the salve into his side. His body convulsed as she massaged the salve into the area the cut was, she knew that must be especially tender. She followed the burn down to his hip bone and began to massage the potion into the skin covering the bone until a large hand shot out and gripped hers tightly.

Blood seeped down from the burnt hand onto hers and she whipped her head around to look at the glinting black eyes of Severus Snape. “What…do you think you are doing, Miss Cresswell?”

Hermione slapped some salve onto the hand that was gripping hers and rubbed it into the cracked, blackened skin, the boy hissed and jerked his hand away, rubbing it tenderly. “You’ve been badly burned, Severus. Amongst other things, I’m not really sure how they happened. Dark curses, if I had to guess. Either way, you need to be healed, and you can’t afford to have Pomfrey see that mark on your arm.” She tilted her head towards his hand that he was gingerly rubbing.

Severus eyed her suspiciously and then examined his right arm that was healed with bright pink skin. He looked down at the rest of his body and saw the burns then eyed the salve. He sneered at her with a look of stubbornness she could only compare to a toddler, “I can do it myself.”

Hermione gave him a dubious look, “Go ahead, but you’ll be here all night. Especially since it hurts horribly when applied. But you go ahead and try.”

Snape gave her a dark look before ripping the jar from her hands and scooping some of the salve out and smearing it onto his chest. Hermione turned and went over to personal stores to grab a phial of something, turning away from what she was sure would be quite the show. He yelped in pain then coughed to cover it up and Hermione was glad she was turned away from him so that her small smile of laughter was undiscovered by Snape. A few moments later and she heard him hiss and a loud thud of him hitting something with his fist then, “Fuck!”

“You doing alright, Mr. Snape?” Hermione turned to see him examining his fist in frustration. He had popped open the new skin by slamming it down on the bed so hard.

Snape grimaced as blood slid down his arm, “Oh, just ducky.” He said with a growl.

Hermione couldn’t help the little giggle that escaped her, and she walked over to him and pulled his hand to her, easily healing his hand, once again.

“Are you enjoying my pain, Cresswell?” He growled, his features dark as he glared at her.

She gave him an amused smile and patted his hand, “Of course not, Severus, just your ridiculous stubbornness.”

He held her stare with his dark glare for several more moments, but Hermione didn’t back down. After a while, he finally pushed the jar back into her hands and laid back on the bed. Hermione had to bite her lip to keep from grinning as she went back to healing him. Serves him right to push a trained healer out of the way. He had to learn one way or the other.

She made quick work of the rest of his body…well, as quick as possible. He griped about her enjoying his pain too much and taking longer than necessary on purpose, but she ignored him and continued on her work. He was a terrible patient and she was happy to give him dreamless sleep at the end of the night.

When she was sure he was completely asleep, she went to take a shower and was glad tomorrow was Friday. She had shifts this weekend, but it meant she was half way through her work week. This week had turned out to be a much longer week than she was prepared for and she needed a break.

As she got into the shower, her thoughts kept drifting back to the boy sleeping in her rooms. He was so different from the dark, dour professor she knew from her time. This teenager was dark and sarcastic, but she also saw some of the teenage whining that was gone from the adult version. The adult version was imposing and refined, whereas teenage Severus didn’t quite have himself figured out yet. He scared her, but she also knew he was only a child. Whereas adult Snape was calculating and cutting, he was scary in a different way. Even the way he held himself was different. This Snape didn’t have the confidence that emanated off of the adult version. He was getting there, but he wasn’t there just yet. And she almost preferred that.

She got out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel and quickly made her way to her bed, where she had left her pajamas. She changed into them, keeping her eyes on the teenager mere feet from her the entire time, not wanting him to rouse and see her naked. When she was clothed again, she made her way to his sleeping form and put one of her blankets over him. He shifted further under it in a snuggly cute way and she had to repress her snort.

She examined his face, his angular features and defined nose. Dark brows and eyelashes that swept over his cheeks as he slept. She could see a hint of stubble on his cheeks and almost laughed at the thought of Professor Snape with a beard. His angular cheekbones barely stuck out over the fluffy blanket he had pulled up to his face. His lips were a soft pink, thin but relaxed. His black hair was splayed over the pillow, and Hermione wanted to touch it, but knew that would be a breech of propriety. He really wasn’t that scary when he was sleeping. Or it was the fluffy blanket ruining his façade.

\---

Hermione wrote a note excusing Severus from his classes on the hospital wing’s paper, not signing who it was from, and sent it to the professors and let him rest in her rooms while she was gone for her shift. When she returned, he was still fast asleep. She changed out his dressings and gave him more potions to expedite the healing process and got ready for her date with the Marauders. Tonight was the night she was supposed to meet them at the Hog’s Head for a drink and she was ready for a night out.

She riffled through her things, not knowing what to wear in this time. She didn’t have much that fit the bill for time appropriate apparel for the 70’s in the small amount of clothing she took with her. She decided on a pair of jeans that weren’t in style, but were close enough, and a red sweater. It was beginning to get chilly and the trek to Hogsmeade wasn’t a short one.

Hermione checked on Severus one more time, but he was sleeping soundly from what she could tell. She took her beaded bag with her just in case he woke up and decided to go snooping through her things, and left. She decided to take the short way that Harry found on the Marauder’s map in third year so that she could stop in the bookstore before heading to the Hog’s Head.

She hurried along the cobblestone path and into the small shop, lined floor to ceiling with books. She immediately felt more at home here than she had in ages as she traced her fingers lightly along the spines of the books as she walked down the aisles. The aisle narrowed and she tried to press herself into the bookshelf, but still ended up brushing into a rather tall wizard.

He turned to look at her and Hermione’s heart stopped. Amber eyes met grey ones and an annoyed look crossed the wizard’s face before one of intrigue. He turned completely, so that their bodies were just inches from each other in the narrow aisle, and his long, blond hair cascaded around his shoulders in pin-straight sheets.

Hermione’s own hair matched his and the similarity didn’t go unnoticed by the aristocrat. She wanted to shy away from him, but held her ground and smiled politely at him. “I’m sorry, the aisles are so narrow here-“

“Don’t worry about it, my dear. What is your name?” He extended out a hand to her.

Hermione gingerly put her hand in his, “Cresswell. My name is Acacia Cresswell. I’m a healer at Hogwarts.”

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Cresswell. I am Lucius Malfoy. I’ve heard a great deal about you from a mutual friend, Severus.”

 _Severus has been talking about me to Lucius?_ “The pleasure is mine, then, if you’re a friend of Severus’.” Hermione looked around awkwardly, “I really must be going, though. I’m sorry. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Malfoy.”

His grey eyes glinted as she darted away. He looked like a Greek statue come to life in this time, tall and muscular with flawless skin and refined features. Hermione wanted to puke at the sight of him. She noticed that he wasn’t wearing a wedding band yet, so he mustn’t be married to Narcissa quite yet. But he must be getting close. And what a beautiful wedding it would be. She was astounded by how beautiful he looked and was jealous of Draco if that is what he was bound to look like in a few years.

She hurried out of the bookstore and made her way to the seedy bar at the end of Hogsmeade. She opened the rickety door with a creek and saw the group of friends was already there, waiting for her. Lily and James were sitting next to each other with Sirius next to James and Lupin and Peter across from Lily and James. Hermione smiled as they beckoned her over and pulled up a stool across the table from Sirius and next to Lupin and Lily.

“We were worried you weren’t going to show, Cresswell. With you being a fancy teacher and all, may be above us.” Sirius said with a smirk and wink before sipping his butterbeer.

“And she would be correct with that thought.” Lily said with a laugh. “But we’re glad you showed!”

“I went to the bookstore before I came here and I got caught up, I’m sorry I’m late-“

“Don’t be, just work on catching up.” Sirius pushed a butterbeer towards her and she gratefully took it. The warm liquid slid down her throat, heating her up from the inside out.

“How have you been, Acacia?” Lupin said quietly from beside her.

Hermione finished her sip of butterbeer and began talking to group of slightly buzzed teens. She fell into a comfortable conversation with them. It felt good to just relax and laugh again with people her own age. Even if they did think she was older than them. The night ran longer than what she had intended, but she didn’t want to go. She was having fun for the first time in a long time. Even if she was staring at the ghosts of her best friend’s parents.

She watched them interact and it was really sweet. He seemed to reach out for her all the time and they would hold hands without noticing. Lily would smile at him and he would rub her back. They seemed to always be connected somehow.

“Don’t think I didn’t notice you sneaking off from the last game, Cresswell. You didn’t stick around for the whole thing!” James pointed an accusatory finger at her, smiling.

Hermione gaped, “It was raining terribly! I needed to get some brewing done! I couldn’t see what was going on anyways! Next match, I will watch-“

“You had better, Cresswell, or we will have a major issue on our hands!” James laughed.

Hermione walked with the group back to the castle, staggering a bit from the butterbeer and having to hold on to Lupin’s arm to steady herself. She laughed at her own ridiculousness and assured him she would be find, but he insisted on escorting her to her rooms.

They walked in companionable silence down to the hospital wing and Hermione eventually stopped outside of the picture of a cat batting at a skull that marked her rooms. Lupin stopped and turned towards her and she awkwardly motioned to the picture meowing at her, “Well, this is my stop.”

Lupin rubbed the back of his neck and seemed to be looking at everything but her. “You sure you’re going to be alright, Acacia?”

Hermione snorted and waved him off, “Oh, yes, I’ve got loads of pepper up potion. I’ll be fine.”

He shuffled awkwardly and shoved his hands in the pockets of his stitched-up cardigan, “Goodnight, then, I guess…”

“Goodnight, Remus.” Hermione turned to leave but felt a hand wrap around her wrist and pull her into a hard chest. Suddenly, Lupin’s mouth was covering hers and his fingers tangled into her blonde hair.

Hermione stood there, shocked, until he pulled away with a small smile. “Thank you for teaching me that spell.”

She felt her eyes were wide and she was stiff in shock. She wasn’t sure what to do. Kissing her professor definitely wasn’t on her list of to-do’s for the night. He squeezed her hand and turned and left her, still frozen in shock, in the hall as he walked back to Gryffindor tower.

Hermione’s head was buzzing with more than the small amount of alcohol from the butterbeer now and she watched as Lupin rounded the corner. She turned back to the portrait on her wall and let herself into her rooms and stumbled into the firm, bare chest of Severus Snape.

She looked up into his dark eyes, seething with rage, and shied away from him. She pressed herself closer into the wall, however, there wasn’t much room to be had. “Did you have a good night with your new friends?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment down below if you are enjoying the story so far! Thank you for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all had a good weekend! I loved reading your comments about the little twist with Remus in the last chapter! I'm so happy you are enjoying and I hope this chapter continues to serve you well. Happy reading!

## Chapter 13

Black eyes glittered down at Hermione with fiery anger that made her heart pick up its speed. She was cornered between the wall and Severus Snape, who was bare from the chest up, his newly healed skin still pink and glistening in the dim candlelight of her rooms.

Her head was buzzing from the alcohol which made her feel more confident than she normally would have. She gently pressed her palm flat into Severus’ chest, his hot skin moist against her palm, and pressed him back away from her. “I see you’re finally awake, Severus.”

His eyes burned into her hand that was pressed into his chest still. He looked up at her with an odd expression on his face. “You’re drunk.”

Hermione smiled up at him, “And you’re hot.” His expression twisted into confusion and Hermione’s cheeks flamed with embarrassment. “I mean its hot in here.”

She pulled her hand away from his chest, realizing she was still touching him, and went over to her window and cracked it open. The chilly night air rushed in, and she saw goosebumps spring up over Severus’ skin. He turned from her gaze quickly, searching for a shirt to cover himself with. He pulled the material over his head and hissed as the cloth scratched at his tender skin.

Hermione crossed the room to him and lifted the shirt, looking at his hip bone where a nasty burn had been the previous night. Severus grabbed her hand tightly and Hermione looked up at him with a smile, “Oh, please. Let me see it. I’ve already seen everything once before. I need to make sure its healing properly or you’ll never get out of here.”

Snape’s grip on her hands loosened, but he didn’t let go, so she pulled his shirt up with his hands still around her wrists. Whatever he needed to do to feel in control enough to let her look at his injuries was okay with her. She examined the pink skin and traced a finger over the slash in his ribs, making him shiver. Hermione forgot who she was touching for a moment and giggled at the reaction her touch caused.

He shoved her hands away sending her stumbling back a step and pulled his shirt down roughly, “That’s quite enough.”

She snorted and rolled her eyes, “It looks like its healing well. How are you feeling?”

“Like I want to be anywhere other than here with _you._ ” He sneered at her.

Hermione rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. She caught his quick glance down at her chest and then back to her face. It was so quick, she thought she had imagined it. “You’re just angry with me because I went out for drinks with James, Sirius, Lupin, and _Peter.”_ She spat the last wizard’s name which got her a questioning look from Snape, but she continued, “I’m allowed to make friends even though I’m here for my apprenticeship, you realize?”

“Is that what you call that display in the hall? _Friendship_?” Severus snarled at her.

Hermione was taken aback. “How did you know about-“

“About you and Lupin? You two weren’t exactly quiet coming down the hall, Cresswell.” Snape’s eyes burned with fury at the mention of the incident.

“You were spying on me!” Hermione laughed.

“No!”

“Severus Snape are you jealous of Remus?”

A look of utter shock morphed Severus’ features. This was the most emotion she had ever seen from him. And so what if the alcohol was making her more forthwith than she normally would have been? She was interested to know his answer.

He stalked towards her, towering over her so that she had to crane her head back to keep his gaze. “Why would I ever be jealous of _him_? If you’re low enough to sleep with dogs, I don’t want anything to do with you.” His nose wrinkled up at her as he spat the words out.

It was Hermione’s turn to be shocked this time. She held his gaze, frozen in astonishment. His gaze was a look of disgust, but she could see something else in it too. Sadness? They glared at each other for what felt like forever before he brushed past her and flicked his wand at the wall, letting himself out of her rooms.

Hermione’s head was pounding in anger and confusion. How dare he say something like that to her? Its not like she chose to kiss Remus! And he couldn’t just decide that she wasn’t allowed to be friends with the marauders just because he didn’t like them. She crossed over to her bed and ripped the covers back angrily. She was hoping that coming to this time would give her a leg up on her impending marriage to the man, not make him even less attractive as a future husband. Hermione changed out of her clothes and flopped heavily into her bed. One thing was for certain, though she hated to admit it to herself, he did look good without a shirt on.

\- - -

Hermione moved through her week slowly, distracted by thoughts of Remus and Severus. She didn’t know what she should do about the whole situation. The only thought that kept her sanity was the fact that she glamoured herself, so her identity would remain a secret and neither of them would know it was actually her that they were interacting with. She couldn’t imagine what Professor Lupin would do if he knew he kissed her when he was a teenager. She was sure he would never be able to live with himself. Not to mention the fact that he was trying desperately to get her attention whenever they ran into each other in the halls or at meals. She could feel his gaze on her all the time.

In exact contrast to that was Severus. He went from trying to get into her head every time she saw him, to respecting her boundaries, to pretending she didn’t exist. She stared at him from the head table in the great hall as she picked at her food. At least when he was interested in her, she got some interaction with him. Now, she was completely ignored, like he didn’t know who she was at all.

She glared at him as she stabbed a pea on her plate rather forcefully. “Are you alright, dear?” Minerva McGonagall asked her, looking worriedly at her peas.

Hermione shook herself from her reverie and gave the older witch a small smile, “Yes, I’m fine. Just not very hungry tonight.”

“It looks like you have a personal vendetta against those peas. Are you sure everything is going well?” Her thick accent and knowing look made Hermione sheepishly put her fork down. She put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing slightly.

“I think I’m just going to head to the library for a while. Thank you, though, Minerva.” She patted the witch’s hand and then got up to leave.

She walked down the great hall’s long tables, passing Severus as she went. She stared at him as she walked by and his eyes met hers before dropping to his food. She continued on her way out of the great hall and to the library to pick out a few books before bringing them back to the shared office at the hospital wing. She checked on the two students who had been in the hospital wing for a few days before going into the office and charming her chair with a cushioning charm. She opened the first book and nestled into its pages. Pomphrey came to check on her and the two students before retiring to bed, leaving Hermione on her night shift to quietly read in the peace of the night.

The hours dragged on and Hermione’s eye lids were getting heavy, but she continued to read. She needed to finish her studying before she could go to bed, and her time was slipping by quickly. She shifted in her chair, trying to get comfortable but she had been there for hours and her back was cramping.

She heard a shuffling and some commotion coming towards the hospital wing and rushed to meet the noise before the doors, not wanting the students who were fast asleep in their beds to be awakened by the disturbance. She quietly shut the doors to the infirmary behind her and came face to face with Mr. Filtch, the caretaker with a procalvity for finding students misbehaving past curfew, and McGonagall. Filtch pushed forward Remus and Severus, both looking guilty and irritated.

“What’s going on?” Hermione asked quietly, trying to keep the noise level down.

“I caught these two ‘ere trying tuh hex each ofer’s bullocks off, is wha’appened.” Filtch said proudly.

McGonagall frowned at the caretaker in a disapproving way before clearing her throat and turning to Hermione. “Dumbledore thinks it would be wise to start using detentions as a way to learn. These young men were caught dueling and are getting detention once a week for a month. Since they are both gifted students and are top of their class, I think having them help you brew potions for the school would be a fitting punishment.” She glared at the boys, “Since they seem hellbent on ending up in the hospital wing, they can help restock it.”

Hermione looked from Remus’ shamefaced expression to Severus’ outright fury. “Top of their class, Professor?”

Minerva smiled, “Oh yes, they’ve been fighting with each other for the spot of highest in the class since their first year here. They will be more than happy to help you brew for the hospital wing, wont you?” She pressed them.

They both nodded and agreed. Remus looked much more pleased with the prospect of spending more time with Hermione than Severus did. Severus’ lips twisted into a scowl and she knew he was not looking forward to the extra time with her.

Hermione dragged her gaze from the boys in front of her and to the head of house. “That seems like a fair trade. Friday nights after dinner would work for me.”

Both boys looked upset at the loss of their Friday night, but McGonagall wouldn’t hear any of it. She agreed for them and helped escort Remus back to his room, leaving Severus with Filtch. Hermione watched Severus’ form retreat down the hall until it was engulfed in darkness.

\- - -

Hermione bent over her herbs growing in her window sill. She touched one of the leaves and it turned black and reduced to a powdery ash. Her brows knit together in confusion and she lightly rubbed another leaf on the plant between her two fingers. Immediately, the plant went from a healthy green to black ash at her touch.

“What in the-?”

“Acacia.”

The deep voice murmured just behind her made Hermione jump and turn around quickly. She was soon face to… well, chest, with Severus Snape. She craned her neck to look up at him with an angry expression, “How did you get into my rooms, Mr. Snape?”

Severus smirked, “Your wards are much easier to get through when you’ve already been on the inside of them.”

Hermione’s face flushed with anger, “You shouldn’t be here-“

Severus’ hand caught a stray hair and he brushed it behind her ear, bending slightly to look into her amber eyes. “Do you really mean that?”

He was so close to her that she could feel the heat radiating off of him. She could smell his woody scent and the mint of his toothpaste on his breath. His dark robes seemed to engulf her and she soon felt the wall pressing into her back as he drew closer to her. He inhaled her scent and his eyes closed as he breathed in, his chest brushing against hers.

“You always smell so good, like gardenia and jasmine.” His eyes opened and drilled into hers. His hand pressed into the wall beside her head, cornering her into his frame.

Hermione’s breath hitched and she glanced at the hand inches from her head, then back to his deep eyes. She felt like she was floating, her body betraying her as her stomach did somersaults with the close proximity to him.

“Can you tell me something?” His free hand traced a finger lightly down the side of her face and Hermione was so scared, she felt like moving was an impossible feat. She now understood why prey froze when they suspected they were in danger. “Why did you help me the other night? You saw my mark and you kept it a secret instead of reporting it. Why?”

“I would expect you to help me if I needed it.” Her tone was much more breathy than she cared to admit.

“But you know what the dark mark means. You know what kind of person I am.” He said, his fingers trailing across her collarbone.

Hermione swallowed thickly, “I know what kind of person you are, Severus. You haven’t figured it out yet, but you are a good man.”

His dark eyes glittered dangerously, “Is that so? How would you know what kind of person I will be?”

“Because you’re not a death eater anymore in my time.”

Severus jerked back in surprise, “In your time? What does that mean?”

Hermione’s heart sped up. Shit! She said too much! Her eyes widened in horror and she pushed away from him. “Get out, Severus!”

He caught her by the wrist and jerked her to him, and she fell out of bed into the pitch black of her bedroom. She gasped for air and blindly searched for her wand in the dark until she found it, shouting, “Lumos!” and searching wildly around for Severus.

Nothing was out of place in her rooms and the plant at her windowsill looked healthy once again. She crossed the room quickly to the small arrangement of herbs and she touched the leaves, nothing happened. No ash or crumbling to be seen. It had all been a dream.

She cast a couple extra warding spells on her door before returning to her bed. The dream had felt so real, she could’ve sworn he had been in the room with her. She pulled the covers up to her chin and willed her mind to stop spinning. Thank goodness it had only been a dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember to comment below if you are enjoying the story so far! Thank you for reading!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you are are doing well! There are a lot of things going on right now, so please be patient with my slower updates. I hope this chapter serves you well and gives you a bit of clarification. Happy reading!

## Chapter 14

“What does unicorn horn do in healing practices, Cresswell?” Pomfrey quizzed Hermione as she was curled over a stack of paperwork, sorting them into the proper files in their shared office.

“It amplifies and purifies the magic, Madame. Anyone who imbibes a potion that was made with unicorn horn will get an intensely strong dose of the potion. So much so, that the witch or wizard would only need a drop to cure them of whatever ailment they are taking the potion for.” Hermione recited back to her, perfectly.

Pomfrey nodded, “And what potions is this most common in?”

“It can be used in any potion, but it is used commonly in Draught of Peace as unicorns have magically calming powers, especially in women. It has been used in Wolfsbane before, but it was extremely difficult. The more dark magic linked to the affliction, the harder it is to incorporate the unicorn horn.”

“Very good, Miss Cresswell! You will make a fine healer if I do say so myself.” Pomfrey beamed at Hermione, a gesture she hadn’t seen on many occasions. “Only a couple months left and you will be out in the world on your own. Are you ready to be free of this place?”

Hermione’s hand stilled as she slipped another paper into a folder to be filed away. She paused, lost in thought. She hadn’t realized how quickly time was going by here. In only a couple weeks it would be Halloween. And soon after that her time to leave to would be drawing near. She forced a small smile to tug at the corners of her mouth mechanically and turned to the older witch, “I suppose it is daunting no matter how prepared I feel I have tried to make myself.”

Pomfrey waved a hand at her dismissively, “Don’t be worried, dear. Everyone figures out their path as it comes at them. All you can do is go along with the ride.”

Hermione nodded her agreement and started filing again.

A few moments of companionable silence passed before Pomfrey said with a sly smile, “That Remus Lupin seems to be interested in you.” Hermione looked startled at the older witch. “I don’t mean to meddle. But he is one of the brightest students of his year. You could do much worse.”

Hermione’s thoughts drifted to Remus’ kiss the other night and the look of intense fury on Severus’ face when she came into the room in her drunken state. She had written the whole encounter off as them both being a bit too tipsy and Remus not meaning what he had done. “I-um-well, I’m kind of spoken for, actually.” She said, awkwardly tripping over the words. It was one thing thinking about her future predicament, but saying it aloud was an entirely different beast.

Pomfrey looked sadly at her, “Are you holding out for a high school sweetheart?”

Hermione thought of Professor Snape and repressed a shudder, “You could say that.” She muttered.

“I understand wanting to be loyal to someone, but sometimes you need to explore your options before you settle down. And you’re so young, you haven’t been able to decide if he’s really the one you want. There’s no harm in seeing where things take you, you may be pleasantly surprised.”

Hermione thought back to Professor Snape dragging Professor Lupin from his bed, inches from throttling him when he caught her in the shack that morning. Snape looked murderous and she finally understood why. He thought she was cheating on him with Lupin, and with their history of fighting over nearly everything, the episode finally made sense. She was the culprit behind the hatred Snape carried for Lupin, at least some of it.

No, she did not want to ‘see where things went’ with Professor Lupin. She knew where they would go. And all roads led to Severus Snape.

\- - -

The remainder of the week flew by as she studied and helped Pomfrey around the infirmary. Hermione watched with intrigued disgust written across her face as a young boy whipped his fingers back and forth in a quick waving motion, they flapped against the back of his hand to his palm in a fleshy noise. His friends all laughed as he continued bonelessly waving his fingers about in the hospital bed.

Hermione cleared her throat and handed the boy a glass of bone-replenishing tonic, “Here you are, Mr. Zirrac. Mind you, the taste is a bit-“

The boy had raised the cup to his mouth, his friends playing with his elastic fingers. As the potion his tongue, his features twisted and he immediately spat the potion out in a spray all over his friends. The two boys across him looked disgusted.

“Off putting.” Hermione finished. She sighed and grabbed the cup from him, filling it once again. She left the boys to lament over the foul-tasting potion and mess with their friend’s fingers and walked into the office to shake her head in exasperation at Pomfrey who laughed under her breath.

“Are you off then, Cresswell?”

“Yes, I ought to be going, I don’t want to be late.” Hermione hurried out of the hospital wing with a goodnight to Madame Pomfrey and quickly fled to her rooms and changed out of her work clothes. She knew now that comfortable clothes was a must when seeing Dumbledore under these circumstances, and she didn’t want to be ill prepared.

She changed into a hoodie and jeans and ran out of her rooms, quickly making her way through the castle to Dumbledore’s office. As she hurried through the courtyard, she saw a flash of red and a high pitched giggle that made her pause.

She looked to where she thought she saw the red, but didn’t see anything. She quickly started up her hurried pace and as she crossed the courtyard, heard a woman’s voice, “James! Would you keep your bloody hands to yourself?” The voice giggled.

Hermione knew that voice belonged to Lily Evans. She looked around the courtyard again and didn’t see anyone. A shimmer of reflected light came from the shadows and her eyes narrowed. She remembered that Harry’s invisibility cloak had once belonged to James Potter and knew what that shimmer belonged to immediately.

The giggling died as Hermione glared at the exact spot she knew James and Lily were standing. She saw the cloak shimmer again and imagined them shifting awkwardly under it. If they weren’t careful, they would get that thing taken away, and she, Harry, and Ron needed it in the future. She continued to glare disapprovingly before turning swiftly and starting on her mission towards Dumbledore’s office once more. She hoped they would be more mindful about using the cloak besides sneaking off to do who-knows-what at night in the courtyard from now on.

Her steps echoed in the empty halls as she quickly snaked her way through the halls before she finally landed outside of his doors. She waited until the clock was exactly at 9pm before knocking on his door. The door magically swung open and she strode in, taking her place across from the elder wizard at his desk.

He offered her a pumpkin pastie which she took gratefully, her stomach churning from not eating all day. She happily chewed on the small pastry and Dumbledore took one as well, eating in companionable silence.

Hermione looked up at him from under her lashes, not sure how to begin. She knew she needed to ask him, but she was worried about the answer he was going to give her. Would he want more information than what she was willing to give? She chewed in contemplation before swallowing thickly and finally forcing the question out of herself, “Sir?”

His bright blue eyes met hers with a smile, “Yes, Miss Granger?”

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you. It’s been kind of an issue for a while now, and I’m not sure if its something I should be managing more comprehensively.” She started, looking at him for a reaction. Finding none, she pressed on. “I’ve been having these…dreams. They seem real when I’m having them, but then I’m startled awake. It involves the same person who is trying to get information from me, and I don’t know if I should be worried about them or not.”

Dumbledore steepeled his fingers in contemplation, thinking for a long while before asking, “They seem real? Do you remember anything being off about them? Anything that you may have found odd?”

Hermione tried to remember back to her dreams, her brows furrowed in thought. “Well, in the first one it felt almost like I was floating. And in the second one I remember touching a leaf in my windowsill and it turned to ash. I always kind of feel like I’m floating though in them.”

Dumbledore seemed to consider this, “Do you have any connection to the person who is invading your dreams?”

Hermione started to shake her head, but had to stop herself. “Yes, I do.”

“If the connection is strong enough, sometimes a bond can form and a connection between the minds will develop… like a link. This sort of magic is ancient and can be very volatile. Sometimes the person doesn’t know they are doing it and other times… they do. And they will use it to gain information.”

"But, Headmaster, I don’t think the connection between us is that strong. And even if it was, it definitely wouldn’t be in this time.”

“Once the connection is made, it stays with the person throughout their entire lives…including their pasts. If I’m not mistaken, however, I can’t say the theory has been tested very often. A bond like that happens seldomly and to time turn with it is even more unheard of. “

“So…you’re saying, this person that I am, that I am _bonded_ with- could be actually living out this dream with me? He could remember everything that is happening in the dream?”

“Precisely, Miss Granger.”

Hermione ran a hand through her hair and sighed in frustration. If this was all true, she had said way too much to Severus. “What do I do if he knows too much?”

Dumbledore didn’t answer right away, just stared at her, his eyes twinkling. “How do you know what you said is too much, Miss Granger?” He chuckled at the exasperated expression on her face. “One way to know that the dream is, in fact, a dream, is something will be off. The leaves turning to ash is a good example. If you are worried about saying too much to this young man, I would check my surroundings to make sure things don’t…crumble around me.”

\- - -

Hermione dragged herself wearily down the corridors toward her rooms. It was nearing midnight and she felt like she had battled to her wits end with Dumbledore, fighting against his slippery magic slithering into the crevices of her mind. She was a rabid dog protecting its last source of food.

She crawled up the changing staircases, dragging her feet up each step. Her body was dead on its feet, but her mind was whirring with thought. Did Severus know what these dreams meant? Did he just think they were oddly realistic dreams? Was he using them on purpose to get information from her? She immediately expelled the thought from her head. He would never exploit her like that. Dumbledore trusted him more than anyone else, how could she doubt him like that?

She rounded the corner to a darkened hallway and almost ran headfirst into Remus. “Oh!” She exclaimed in surprise.

“Acacia!” He looked shocked out of deep thought. He lowered his raised wand and gave her the small smile she was so accustomed to. “Are you doing alright? Its late.”

“Oh, erm, yes- fine.” She nervously tucked a locke of blonde hair behind her ear and returned Lupin’s small smile. “What are you doing out so late?”

“Oh, well, I have prefect duties.” Lupin said, gesturing to the badge glistening on his chest.

“Isn’t it a bit late for rounds?”

Lupin’s cheeks flushed, “Sometimes when I can’t sleep I do an extra pass.”

“I see.” An awkward silence passed between them before Hermione cleared her throat. “Well, I best be off. I have an early shift tomorrow morning. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

Lupin’s face twisted in confusion before realization dawned on him and his faced flushed in embarrassment. “Ah, uhm, yes. See you later, Acacia.”

She hurried past him before she felt his hand enclose over her wrist lightly and she turned to face him, confusion plain on her face. “Remus-?”

“I meant what happened between us the other night, Acacia. I really like you. And I hope you feel the same for me, as well.”

“Oh, erm, Remus, I-I don’t know what to say. I like you, but-“ His hopeful face broke her heart. She wanted so badly to be the person he needed her to be, but she knew she could never be that for him. She wished so badly that she was to be married to him over Professor Snape. At least he was friendly. She had so many good conversations with him and he really cared about her. Unlike Snape who only cut her down and belittled her.

Her heart ached at the smile that he gave her. She longed so much for him. The thought of Pomfrey’s words came to her mind. _There’s no harm in seeing where things take you, you may be pleasantly surprised._ He would have been a caring husband. She shuddered to think what kind of husband Professor Snape would turn out to be.

But…she knew that was a selfish dream. She knew he was interested in Tonks in her time and Tonks loved him. They belonged together. And they were a good couple together. She was lively and spontaneous and Remus was the logical, supportive rock she needed to keep her grounded. She couldn’t get in the way of his happiness like that when she knew what she was destined to do.

“-But I am not the right girl for you. I’m sorry, but this isn’t going to work out, Remus.”

He frowned at her, “You don’t know that.”

“But I do, Remus. I’m sorry.” She pulled her hand from his and backed away. “Trust me. I am not the right person for you. You deserve so much more than what I can give you.”

“Acacia-“

“Please, Remus. All I can give you is my friendship. I hope that is enough.”

He looked heartbroken. His soft eyes melted into hers and she wanted to rip her aching heart out of her chest. He slowly nodded, “Friends. Of course.” A sad smile cracked its way into the sad lines of his face and Hermione’s resolve nearly broke. She reached out for his hand and squeezed it before letting it go and turning to walk down the hall, leaving him alone in the dark behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed the story so far, please leave a comment down below. Thank you for reading!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I have really been enjoying all the theories about the dreams, I love hearing your thoughts! No one has gotten what I have in mind correct quite yet, but I'm sure someone will soon enough. You guys are so smart! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! I am seeing my boyfriend's family this weekend, so this will probably be the only chapter for a while, unless I find some WiFi. I hope you enjoy! Happy reading!

## Chapter 15

Madame Pomfrey whizzed about the hospital wing, Hermione following silently behind, reciting to her the importance of checking everything before leaving for the night. You never knew what students could do to themselves in the night, you know. You had to be ready to receive the entire quidditch team, if needed.

Which is precisely what it had been like just a few hours before. The hospital wing was packed with players and their friends hovering closely over them when a set of cursed broom sticks went haywire, chucking the players from their spindly handles hundreds of feet in the air. Students plummeted to the ground, Hermione and some of the other teachers breaking their falls best they could.

What was worse, they had no idea who would have cursed the brooms. Hermione had a sinking feeling she knew. Every day the daily prophet highlighted more and more witches and wizards disappearing, as if plucked from thin air. There was a restlessness amongst the students that she had noticed too. Parents had started pulling their children from Hogwarts, claiming it to be unsafe. This broomstick incident was no different. More ammo for their arsenal.

While she didn’t want to admit it, most of the upperclassmen in Slytherin she knew would be or currently were serving the Dark Lord. She knew they would be wreaking havoc to dismantle Dumbledore’s safe façade he had around the school. The more separated and scared people became, the easier they were to control.

She knew that not all death eaters were Slytherins, though. She thought of Peter Pettigrew, probably joking around with James as she stood there right now. Hermione shuddered at the thought. It was a sad, sobering memory of why she was here. She needed to focus on her studies so that she could get through this time and back to her own. Even though someone continued to pull her off track.

She shook the thought of Severus towering over her from her mind and continued on her rounds. Just a few hours ago, the students in the infirmary were lying in the very same beds, covered in their own blood, limbs sticking out at awkward angles. Now, they lay in bed, fast asleep. She wished she could return to her rooms and do the same, since today had been such a trying one. Unfortunately, she had detention duty with Severus and Remus tonight, which she had to push back because of the high demand at the infirmary.

She cast a diagnostic spell over James Potter, his dark lashes resting on his sun-kissed cheeks. He looked just like an older version of Harry here. She almost wanted to give in to the urge to pretend it was her best friend for just a moment, to comfort herself. But she shook the absurd notion from her mind. Harry wasn’t even a thought at this point in time. He was living out his life along with her in another time right now, though. That thought did comfort her.

From what she had read of time travel in the library, there were different paths of time that she was living, but they all coexisted along with each other. So if something happened in one timeline, it would ripple throughout the rest. Which is why it was so important she kept things the way they were supposed to be. She thought of it as rows of bricks that are stacked on top of each other, when something is in the way of one brick and it gets laid down at an angle, it will affect every layer after that. Causing a ripple, if you will. The same was true with time travel, the less ripples created, the better.

However, what Dumbledore had said to her last night bothered her. It seemed like there had to have been some sort of disturbance to make a mental connection between her and Severus. She knew she hadn’t done anything so far to make a connection like that, and she doubted he had the magical ability to do that. She needed to find out if he was experiencing the same dreams as she was, or if this was all just one big coincidence. She was hoping for the latter, but the realist in her knew it was the first.

She finished checking on the players and lowered the lights in the infirmary before shutting the doors and warding them before walking down the hall to the room she used for brewing her bigger projects.

She had several cauldrons simmering with potions that needed to stay like that for a long time before their next steps were taken. It was quite a bit warmer in the small room than in the open, airy hospital wing. She fanned herself and was silently thankful that her curly hair was hidden under a glamour, otherwise it would surely get frizzy in the thick air.

She heard footsteps approaching and turned to see Remus slip through the door. He looked awful, his skin was sallow and his eyes had dark circles surrounding them. His clothes looked more ragged than normal and she noticed he had a couple tears that needed mending. He quickly took a seat at one of the stools, not making eye contact with her. He was hunched over, tired looking.

“Good evening, Mr. Lupin.” She said in a small voice, giving him a worried look but covering it with a smile.

He glanced up at her quickly before becoming very invested in picking at his nails, “Evening, Miss. Cresswell.”

Hermione watched as he looked everywhere but at her, growing more worried by the moment. “Remus, are-are you okay?” She asked quietly.

He gave her a great sigh and his expression was pained. He seemed to think about what he wanted to say for a long time before opening his mouth to speak, then closing it. Then, as he opened it again, the door opened and he whipped around to see Severus striding through the darkened room.

Hermione glanced up at him and saw his robes billowed dramatically in this time the same as they did in hers. She sighed, knowing she would get nothing from Lupin now, and took a step away from Lupin.

Severus’ lip turned up in a snarl of disgust as she saw how close she had been to Remus and he glared at her. He swept over to the stool opposite Remus and perched stiffly upon it.

Hermione took a deep breath to calm herself before looking at the two wizards in front of her, “You both know why you’re here, so I don’t need to go over the seriousness of your actions, I presume?” they both gave her looks of displeasure before side-eyeing each other. Hermione nodded, “Right. So, I thought we could brew some bone replenishing potions tonight, seeing as the quidditch teams ran us nearly dry today.” Hermione flicked her wand at the board and her swooping script appeared with the instructions for the potion. “This room is rather small, so we will be working in tight quarters, I’m afraid. I’ve been told you’re both extremely gifted in potions so this should be a rather easy task for you, but if you have any questions, I’m here to help.”

“What time do we get to leave?” Snape’s voice drawled, clearly unimpressed by her intentions for the night.

Hermione’s face flushed with frustration at his sarcasm, but cleared her throat and pressed on, “I suppose when the potion is finished, you may leave. Until then, you’re stuck with me.” Her lip curled up with the glare she got at the last sentence.

Remus jumped up and started quickly assembling his ingredients. Snape seemed to want to stay as far away as possible from the Gryffindor, so he busied himself with getting his cauldron ready. Hermione joined Remus with getting her ingredients. When they both returned to the table, Hermione set half of the bottles and ingredients she had carried next to Severus, who eyed her suspiciously.

“What was that for?” He murmured while continuing to scrub at his cauldron.

“We are all getting the same things, I may as well grab some for you too.” She felt his eyes on her and could tell they were narrowed in confusion. She continued preparing her cauldron and he tore his eyes away from her and focused them back on his own work.

Remus scrubbed at his cauldron and was the first one to start working on his potion. He added the ingredients quickly, seeming to want to hurry the process along as quickly as possible. Hermione watched as he quickly sliced through the root of asphodel, adding it to his already simmering pot.

She glanced over at Severus who was crushing baneberry, the red juice staining the wooden surface below. He flicked his wand at it and the juice formed a little sphere in the air and he slowly levitated it down into his cauldron.

To say Hermione was a little intimidated was an understatement. She had two of the best professors she had sharing a work table with her. She knew that she had been through more schooling at this point than they had, but still, two of the students of their time were making potions along side her. She wanted to watch them work and not even focus on her potion. She knew that wasn’t an option, though.

She quickly got to work on her potion, letting the memory of Snape teaching her how to brew this very potion the first time flood her mind. She had copied his instructions on the board and not the one that came from _Advanced Potion Making_ like she normally would follow. She had noticed early on that if she followed Snape’s instructions, the potions tended to take less time and worked better than the outcome from the book’s instructions. But that was no surprise. Snape was a renowed potioneer. He had come up with several potions and spells himself, there was no question that he was gifted. Some of which, he had come up with during his time at Hogwarts.

Lupin, on the other hand, was extremely gifted but had the detriment of extreme prejudice against him. While he tried to become published for the inventions he had come up with, he was rejected due to his status as a werewolf. People didn’t want to work with someone so _dangerous._ He had explained this all to her while she was studying with him over the fall. He was jealous of Snape’s success, but there was nothing he could do about it. This thought enraged her at the time and made her angry on Lupin’s behalf.

It wasn’t fair that people judged him so harshly. But she understood that judgement all too well, being a muggle-born. She had to deal with pure-bloods underestimating and looking down on her all the time, but she was sure that wouldn’t result in anything like what Lupin was experiencing.

Some time later, she caught herself staring at Snape’s long fingers sweeping over the ingredients. His hands deftly cut through the boomslang, skinning it and leaving the remains until he flicked his wand and they disappeared. His hands seemed to gracefully dance across the table, making short work of the potion.

However, Lupin was the first to finish. He quickly bottled his potion and cleaned his cauldron. Hermione watched as he worked like a mad man to get out of the small classroom. She was sure he had changed last night and that’s why he was so eager to be gone. He was probably extremely tired since he didn’t get to sleep as a wolf or a human.

Hermione thanked him and wished him a goodnight before he hurried out of the small room, leaving her and Severus to work on the last part of the potion. She inspected Remus’ potion as hers simmered for five minutes and compared his slightly duller ruby color to her own. He would have done better if he hadn’t been in such a rush, but this would do fine for the hospital wing’s use.

She looked over at Severus’ cauldron and wanted to throw up in disgust at his perfectly shimmering ruby red potion. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, but he still caught the look. His face turned smug at her jealous look and he gave the pot a little stir with just the motion of his finger, wandlessly and wordlessly.

“How-?”

Snape smirked at her, “You diced your baneberry instead of crushing and juicing it. Rookie mistake, Cresswell.”

Hermione sneered at him, “That was never in your instructions.”

“I didn’t write them, did I?”

“Yes you d-“ Hermione bit her tongue, eyes wide. “I guess not. I wrote them.”

“You probably follow the book to the letter, don’t you?”

Hermione’s voice raised an octave, “No! I know better than to do that.”

Snape chuckled at her as he bottled his potion up. “Sure you do.” 

Hermione rolled her eyes at him and started bottling up her own potion, “Oh, push off, Severus!” She said in an exasperated tone.

His eyes locked with hers, glinting in the dim light of the small room. “Do you really mean that?”

Hermione sucked in a breath as she felt like she had been hit in the chest with a bat. She knew that look. He said the exact same thing to her the other night in her dream. She felt the brush of his mind against hers and she immediately blocked him out of her head.

Snape smirked at her and turned to continue cleaning up his things like nothing happened. Hermione was stunned. She stared at him as he cleaned up. “Can I help you with something, Acacia, or are you enraptured with my beauty?” Snape said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Do you remember how to get into my rooms?” Hermione asked him. This was her test. In her dream, he said he remembered how to get past her wards because it was easier to get through once you had been on the inside of them.

Snape smirked at her but kept his eyes on his cauldron, “Is this some sort of invitation?”

Hermione’s jaw dropped, “No! I just want to know.” She sniffed.

“Why do you ask?” Severus’ eyes met hers.

Hermione floundered for an excuse before she settled on just telling him the truth, “I’ve been having these strange dreams. I’m not really sure why. But they always involve…you.”

Severus’ lips quirked, “You’re dreaming of me?”

Hermione’s eyes threatened to roll out of her head, “Oh, never mind!” She huffed and turned back to her own work.

She felt his hand grasp her upper arm and turn her, “Look, I’m sorry.” Snape’s face sobered and he looked down at his feet, his left hand pulled at the cuff of his robes nervously. “To be honest, I have been having some dreams of my own, and I don’t know what they mean. Maybe we could…work together and figure them out.”

Hermione was stunned by his sudden change from snarky and overly-confident to honest and sincere. She looked down at his hands, fidgeting with the cuffs of his robes. “I would like that, Severus.”

They finished cleaning up, Snape returned to his normal sarcastic self, making Hermione crack up a few times. She was beginning to like this side of Severus. She wondered what happened to it to make him the man she knew, but then she remembered his dark mark.

There was nothing she could do to prevent him from taking it, but maybe she could convince him to see things differently in the short time she had here. After all, something made him change his mind and side with Dumbledore eventually, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're enjoying the story so far, please remember to leave a comment down below! Thank you for reading!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you all had a good weekend! I got terribly sunburned, so I am nursing that. I am happy to have the laptop off of my lap soon lol. I hope you enjoy the chapter and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this one! Happy reading!

## Chapter 16

Hermione walked through the castle, the clicking of her shoes echoing through the deserted halls as she walked in the dim light. It was late, and she really shouldn’t have been wandering, but she couldn’t resist herself a trip to the library. There was a book there that she had been itching to get her hands on when she was back in her normal time, but didn’t have the permissions to get to it. Now that she was technically at the status of a professor, she didn’t need special permissions to check books out in the restricted section.

She walked slowly down the deserted halls, enjoying the moonlight outside. Just a few nights ago had been the full moon, so the grounds outside the windows were well lit in a silvery cast. She trailed her fingers absent-mindedly over the rough texture of the brick as she walked along, not really paying much attention to anything. Until she saw something moving on the grounds.

She stopped in her tracks and saw three dark figures moving through the shadows of the forbidden forest towards the castle. She strained her eyes to try to make out who they were and could barely make out that they were people, much less their faces.

Years of getting into trouble with Ron and Harry made her want to follow the figures and meet them down on the first floor to see what they were up to. But she knew that the first wizarding war was upon this time. It could very well be aurors the Dumbledore had stationed around the school.

She watched as the figures approached, it seemed to take them forever to cross the grounds. One was limping and the other was helping it along. The third’s robes billowed behind him as he crossed across the silvery grass.

Hermione blinked and her eyes narrowed. She knew that stride and those billowing robes anywhere. That was definitely Severus Snape. What was he doing out of the castle at this time of night? The other two she finally was able to deduce were Mulciber and Avery, two of Severus’ friends and future death eaters. That is, if they weren’t already. Severus was, so they probably were too, come to think of it. And if they were all together, injured, and sneaking into the castle late at night, Hermione was sure she knew where they had just come from.

She turned quickly and headed down the corridor, sprinting towards the changing staircases. She hurried down them, upsetting some of the portraits on her way down. Getting chided and hissed at as she rushed down the stairs, not caring enough to throw apologies behind her. She hurried down the corridor that led to the main entrance and stopped short, just behind the corner.

She heard the door creak open and the shuffle of footsteps before shutting it behind them. Hermione’s ears strained to hear the whispered conversation between the three boys, but she could pick out Severus’ deep baritone voice slip through the night straight away.

“He needs medical attention.”

“Is nuffing I can’ ‘andle. It’s jus a lil’ broken bone and a few scrapes, innit, Mulciber?”

There was an incoherent moan of pain. It took every ounce of self-control that Hermione had to not lose her cover and demand to tend to the boy. Even if he was a death eater. And Avery sounded like he was two sheets to the wind and in no condition to do any healing.

“Sides, you ‘erd wha’ da Dark Lord said,” Avery drunkenly slurred, “Not anover close call. Wouldn’t want anover slip up like da last time, eh, Snapey?”

Severus’ tone grew dark and slow, “You left me alone, and unconscious in the hall outside of the infirmary. There wasn’t much I could do about who found me, was there?”

Hermione flinched. She was the one who had found him the last time. But she had taken him into her own quarters and healed him there, its not like she had reported it to Pomfrey.

“Tha’ bitch saw your mark though. ‘N you know wha’ ‘appens to those who know who shouldn’t.” There was a wet “Kccch!” noise that Hermione saw could only assume was accompanied by Avery’s finger sliding across his throat, mimicking slitting it open.

Hermione’s hand flew to her neck and her heart raced. She shouldn’t be here. Her stomach had a sinking feeling that if they found her there, Avery’s reenactment of her death wouldn’t be an act.

“She can’t be killed, you fool!” Severus hissed. Hermione’s heart fluttered in relief. “Not yet, at least. She has information that I need and I am determined to get it.”

Hermione’s eyes that had fluttered shut in momentary relief, flew open again in panic. What did he mean? She didn’t have any information that he could possibly need! Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest, but her feet felt like they were charmed to the floor.

She heard the footsteps start to shuffle towards her again and she ripped herself from her spot on the floor just in time, vanishing behind a tapestry in the shadows.

Snape stared at the spot she had just been in, his black eyes scanning the spot. His eyelids fluttered shut as he inhaled the scent of her perfume and when his eyes opened again, they were narrowed. Hermione’s breathing was shallow and barely audible as he scanned the corridor, almost like he knew she was there.

She felt his mind brush against hers and she immediately blocked him out, praying it was subtle enough for him to notice how shaken she was. She felt him linger on the edge of her mind, as if scanning it as well, making sure nothing was out of sorts. She cleared her head as much as possible, thinking about the book she was originally supposed to be on her way to get and kept her mind off the imminent danger that was only a few feet away from her.

She felt his mind slip out of hers and he turned slowly, his robes brushing gently around his ankles, and he turned to follow Avery and Mulciber down the hallway.

When their forms were eclipsed by the darkness of the corridor, Hermione finally dared to let a breath out. She peeked out from the tapestry and didn’t see him, so decided the coast was clear. She shakily stepped out from behind the tapestry and hurried in the opposite direction of the boys.

\- - -

Hermione was distracted the next few days at the hospital wing and Pomfrey had taken notice. So much so, that she sent her to her rooms early that day to get some rest. Hermione was a jittery mess, knocking over ingredients, almost maiming a simple stitch on a second year boy’s brow, and spilling a valuable potion that Pomfrey could only get once a year because of its brew time.

To say she was a mess, was the understatement of the year. Hermione angrily pulled at a strand of her hair as she tried to focus on a book. Focusing was nearly impossible though. All she could think about was Severus. Was this how Harry felt all the time about Voldemort? Never knowing when and if he was planning on killing him?

Hermione gave a frustrated huff and pushed the book off her. She crossed her small room and picked up the little picture of her and the boys and a small smile pulled at her lips. She missed them terribly. All she wanted to do was talk to Harry about what was going on and joke with Ron and get after them about something mundane, but no. She was stuck in this time where none of them were technically even born yet. She looked at Crookshanks’ little mouse toy and missed him dearly as well. The little half kneazle was one of her best friends and she missed his fluffy butt nearly suffocating her in the morning. The looks of judgement he passed upon her when she told him of her woes was something she held dearly.

“Who are those?”

Hermione yelped in shock and spun around, her wand jabbing into the chest of Severus Snape. “Severus? What are you doing in here?” She yelled in outrage and shock.

He raised his hands in mock defense, “I just came by to see how you were doing. Pomfrey said you were out sick today. I thought maybe you could use some help.”

Hermione kept her wand firmly in his chest, “How did you get into my rooms?”

“They’re easier to get into once you’ve been on the inside of them.” His dark eyes glittered for a moment before he continued, “I honestly just wanted to make sure you were doing okay, Cresswell. No ulterior motives here.”

Hermione glared at him and slowly lowered her wand, “You always have and ulterior motive, Severus Snape.” She murmured.

Snape pouted in pretend hurt, “Ouch, that hurts, Cresswell.” Hermione turned back and quickly stuffed the picture under a book before he could examine it closer, “Who’s the picture of? A boyfriend?”

Hermione snorted, “Hardly, they were friends of mind in school.”

“I see. Well, how are you feeling?”

“Honestly, I’m a bit conflicted at the moment. Why?”

Severus tugged at the cuff of his sleeve and looked past her to the wall behind her, “Well, I wanted to know if you wanted to meet with me sometime to talk about the dream issue. I’ve been doing some research, and I thought it would be best if we talked about what we’ve each been experiencing so we know what we are dealing with. We may be able to control it, even, and replicate it together so that we can try to control it.”

Hermione nodded at his obvious zeal over what he had found. “I’ve been doing some research of my own, as well. I think meeting would be a good idea.” The thought of meeting Severus alone now made her nervous, but she tried to quell the anxious butterflies in her stomach, “Tomorrow night? Does that work for you?”

“Sure. Eight? I’ll meet you at the hospital wing.”

Hermione swallowed dryly, “Sounds like a plan.”

\- - -

Hermione woke abruptly, pages sticking to her face that she had to peel away. The dim light of the library had been extinguished, leaving only her desk illuminated. Books splayed across the desk in a mess of pages and prints, stacked and strewn in every which way. She had fallen asleep doing research on the dreams. She couldn’t believe that the cranky librarian, Madame Pince, hadn’t waken her before closing the library.

She started shutting the tomes and letting them levitate themselves back to their spots on the bookshelves, walking up and down the rows of books. It was dark and she barely noticed something move beside her before she jumped and saw Severus, also putting away a stack of books.

“Severus? What are you doing here at this time of night?”

His lips quirked into a small smirk, his eyes never leaving the books, “I could ask you the same thing.”

His eyes snapped to hers and she felt her heart racing in its cage. “I-I’m of age and therefore allowed to be out whenever I chose to be. Its none of your concern-“

“Are you?”

Hermione was taken aback at the simple question. “What?”

“Are you of age? Because the more I get to know about you, _Miss Cresswell,_ the less I feel like I know about you.” He sneered her name.

Hermione took a step back and he took a step towards her. She took another and another until her back was up against the bookshelf and he was towering over her. She clutched a book to her chest, the only thing between her and Severus’ bodies pressing together. Her head pounded and her jaw was tight like she had a migraine, but she pushed the pain aside, too scared to look away from his eyes.

He bent his head and for a moment Hermione thought he was either going to kiss her neck or suck it like the true bat of the dungeons Ron claimed him to be. Instead, he inhaled her scent, his eyes closing like he was trying to memorize it. He leaned back so that he was only inches from her face, “You heard me talking to my brothers the other night, didn’t you?”

Hermione felt like she couldn’t lie to him, almost like she was compelled to tell him the truth. She nodded, her eyes locked to his. “I did.”

“And are you scared of me now?” His breath tickled her skin as he talked, his face was so close to hers. She could smell mint on his breath and the woodsy scent of whatever cologne he used.

Hermione swallowed thickly, “A little.”

Severus lips twisted into a smirk, “Good. You should stay away from me, Cresswell.”

A surge of Gryffindor courage pulsed through her, “And what if I don’t want to? What if I know that deep down, you’re not a bad person, Severus? Would that ruin the façade you’ve worked so hard to create?” She stuck her jaw out in stubbornness.

Severus leaned in closely and whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her skin and sending a shiver down her spine as he murmured, “How do you know who I am?”

Hermione’s voice came out more breathy than she intended as she felt his hand trace down her side. Her grip like a vice on the book between them, “Because I know who you are, Severus. You are a great man. If Dumbledore trusts you, then I will trust you, as well.”

Hermione’s cheeks burned red when she felt his fingers trace her hip bone beneath her shirt, but just as soon as he was on her, he ripped away from her. “Dumbledore? What do you mean?”

“Well, you see, in time-“ Hermione’s hand flew to her mouth to make her stop talking, Why was she so compelled to tell him everything? She shook her head and slipped from around him. She fled from the stacks before Severus could pull her back in and heard him saying her name.

“Cresswell!”

“Miss Cresswell!”

“Miss Cresswell! Wake up!”

Hermione was startled awake, papers stuck to her face as she jerked awake. She blinked blearily up at Madame Pince who was staring disapprovingly down at her, “I-I’m sorry, Madame Pince. I must’ve lost track of time.”

Pince harrumphed at her, “It would appear so. Head to your rooms, Miss Cresswell, the library is closed.”

Hermione scrambled to grab her things before heading out of the library. She needed to get these dreams sorted out with Severus before she said too much in them and she doomed them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're enjoying so far, please leave a comment down below and let me know how its going! I love reading everyone's comments, it truly makes my day. Thank you for reading!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My original plan was not to reveal anything about the actual bond until she returns back to the original time line, but I can sense the confusion. So, I hope this chapter clears some things up for you and doesn't back me into a writing corner. Don't say I never did anything for you lol. It may do the exact opposite of what I'm hoping and create more confusion, in which case, I guess I fucked myself. I hope you are all doing well! Happy reading!

## Chapter 17

The day seemed to go by quickly and drag endlessly at the same time for Hermione. She hurried around the infirmary with Pomfrey, tailing behind her and helping as much as she could. Eventually, she split from her and helped students on her own since they were swamped after some fourth years were badly injured after taking a stroll under the whomping willow.

She was able to release the majority of the quidditch teams today, which cleared room for the little group of fourth years. However, James Potter remained. His broken pelvic bone was being stubborn and wasn’t setting properly, causing Pomfrey to repeatedly break it and re-mend it.

Hermione replaced the water at his bedside table and refreshed his sheets for him. He was sleeping soundly, as Pomfrey kept him for the most part. Hermione turned after assuring herself that he was well off, and almost ran right into someone.

Startled, she took a step back and clutched at her chest, “Oh! I’m so sorry! I didn’t even notice you coming up behind me!”

Lily Evans gave her a small smile and tucked a sheet of dark auburn hair behind her ear, staring at James laying peacefully in the hospital bed. “How is he doing?”

Hermione turned to look at James and warred with how she should handle telling the witch. On one hand, she knew the young girl would want to know the truth, but on the other, she wasn’t sure she wanted to worry her. “He is healing. Pomfrey has been keeping a careful watch over him.”

Lily nodded absently at that before smoothing down one of James’ riotous curls of black hair. Her hand gently swept over his cheek and lingered there for a moment before she pulled away and looked at Hermione levelly in the eyes. “I know you have been hanging around Severus.”

Hermione was shocked at the abrupt change of subject. Especially from Lily. “I guess I’m not really sure what you mean-“

“I’m only bringing it up because,” Lily paused and her green eyes sparkled for a moment with tears. She blinked frustratedly and looked down at James and took a steadying breath, “Well, because Severus and I used to be friends.”

Hermione was floored. She wasn’t sure how to respond. She definitely hadn’t seen that coming since Lily allied herself with the marauders and they and Severus seemed to hate each other with an intensity she could only compare to Harry and Draco. “You were friends? As in, you’re not now?”

Lily wiped angrily at a tear that escaped from her, “No. We are not.” The vitriol in her voice was poison to Hermione’s ears. “We were friends from childhood. He was my best friend up until our fifth year. But there comes a time when you have to decide if the friendship is worth fighting for and I felt like I was the only one truly invested in it anymore. He said some really horrible things to me and it pushed me over the edge. I couldn’t handle the constant fighting between James and Sirius and Peter and Lupin and him. I just needed to end it, and no one was going to grow up and get over it. And Severus’ hatred went much deeper and was much darker than anything that I had ever seen before. He truly wanted to hurt them, Acacia. It scared me, if I’m being honest. So, one day when James and them were tormenting him, they pushed him too far and he lashed out at me for being their friend. He made me chose a side… and I guess you can tell what happened after that.”

She went quiet for a moment and Hermione put a hand on her forearm gently, reassuring her with a small smile. “I’m sure whatever he did can be mended-“

Fire sparked in Lily’s green eyes, “No, you don’t understand. What he has become…he is too far gone. If what he said that day were only words, of course I would have forgiven him. But he is too far gone. He is dangerous, Acacia.” She gripped Hermione’s arm and pulled her close, Hermione’s amber eyes going wide at the scared look in hers as she whispered furiously, “There are whispers of a wizarding war starting soon, you’ve heard I’m sure?”

Hermione nodded in silent shock.

“There is a wizard who is threatening to erase all muggle-borns and return the wizarding world to its original ‘pure’ state. He is gaining followers en masse. What he does with his followers is terrible, torturing them into submission, then rewarding them with muggle-born victims. That’s what all those disappearances in the daily prophet are about. He is capturing them and torturing them for fun then murdering them. He wants to eradicate half the population, do you understand what I’m saying?”

Hermione stood staring into the witch’s eyes, knowing full well what she was talking about but never having anyone spell it out so plainly for her.

“When Sev and I were talking, he was friends with a man named Lucius Malfoy who is a few years older than we are. He was putting ideas into his mind then about joining this dark wizard’s rank and that was two years ago! I had many arguments about him over it then, and I haven’t been around to argue with him lately. Do you understand what I’m trying to say? Do not trust him, Acacia. He may seem nice now, but I know him better than anyone here. And I am positive where his loyalties lie and its nowhere good.”

Hermione thought back to seeing his dark mark writhing against his pale skin when she had found him the hall the other night. And just last night when he was talking to Avery and Mulciber about killing her. “Lily, can I ask you, why do you think he went over to the dark wizard’s side?”

Lily looked a bit taken aback. She leaned back and released the iron like grip she had on Hermione’s forearm as she thought. “Well, he had a really tough childhood. Then he came here and had a rough go of it here as well. I guess, wouldn’t you go to a place that offered you acceptance and a sense of belonging after a life like his?”

Hermione nodded. “I guess I would.”

Lily returned her attention to James and squeezed his hand and gave him a small smile, “Do you mind if I sit with him for a while?”

She looked at the clock and saw it was almost time for her to meet Severus. “You can stay until eight, but then I am leaving and need to ward the hospital wing.”

Lily nodded and perched on the side of James’ bed, kissing the back of his hand tenderly.

Hermione hurried off to finish her rounds before Severus turned up.

\- - -

Hermione paced nervously outside of the hospital wing after sending Lily on her way. She sent her a few minutes early, hoping she wouldn’t run into Severus in the halls, knowing what she knew now. She didn’t need any more hexes flying or awkwardly run detentions under her belt. Though, she could use Lily Evan’s potions expertise in helping her catch up on some of her brewing. She and Severus were the top potioneers in the school. Leaving James, Sirius, and Lupin to be the top students in every other subject. She wished school had come so easily for her when she had been attending Hogwarts. Instead she would have long nights in the library, pouring over books for hours only to help Harry but mostly Ron when she returned to Gryffindor tower.

She hated to admit it, but she was terribly nervous meeting Severus. She knew, deep down, that he was a good person. But something about what Lily had said to her had shaken her. And what if in this time he wasn’t such a good person yet, after all? He had taken the dark mark, so she knew he would not think highly of her if he knew of her status and he had just considered killing her last night. But he wanted to get information from her first. Unfortunately, he would be hard pressed to find any since she had nothing for him that she knew of.

She turned and saw a dark figure stalking towards her and knew that was Severus. His robes billowed behind him, as they did in her time, signifying who he was. Hermione froze in place, waiting as he drew closer to her.

His dark eyes were fixed on her as he walked up to her and stood in front of her, towering over her small frame. “Good evening.” His deep voice vibrated through her, sending shivers down her spine.

She inclined her head to him, “Severus.”

“I thought we could go to your potions room to talk, if that’s alright?” He pulled nervously at the cuff of his robes.

Hermione nodded and quickly smiled, “Of course!” She led him down the hall to her personal brewing chambers and opened the door, only to be hit by a wave of humid, hot air. She grimaced at the heat and saw she had nine cauldrons on a stasis charm, bubbling happily causing the humidity and the heat. There was nothing she could do about the heat, unfortunately. There were no windows in the small room. “I’m sorry about the heat.”

Severus unbuttoned the top button of his white under shirt and loosened his tie that was under his wool sweater. He was going to be hot in this room.

Hermione dragged over two stools and perched on one of them, inviting Severus to do the same to the other. “So…what have you been dreaming about?”

Severus eyed her suspiciously, “You first.”

Hermione’s cheeks went red and her eyes dropped to her hands that were fidgeting in her lap. “Well, I’ve had three dreams so far.”

“And they’ve all contained me?”

“Erm… yes.” Hermione looked up to see the corner of Snape’s mouth twitch up and she had to control her eyes from rolling. “Oh, please. It’s not as if I’m wishing this upon myself, Severus.”

“Please, do go on.” He gestured for her to continue.

“Well, in the first one, I was brewing a potion and you showed up and wanted to get some sort of information from me. I refused and you asked me why I didn’t trust you. That was near the beginning of term”

Snape was quiet and seemed to be contemplating what she said.

Hermione took a deep breath before going on, “In the second one, you showed up in my rooms. It was shortly after I had taken you that night you were left in the hall. You were asking me about your mark. And you much more…hands on this time.” Hermione’s face flushed furiously.

Snape snorted and smirked. “And what did I ask you about?”

“Well… you asked me why I took you in when I knew what that mark meant.”

Snape’s face sobered and he gave her a level look. “And what did you say?”

This was it. Was she going to be truthful with Severus and tell him what she said in her dream and risk him knowing information about the future or would she lie and risk him knowing the dreams already and knowing that she was lying to him? “I-I said that I knew what kind of person you were.”

Snape’s black eyes glittered dangerously, “And what kind of person am I, Acacia?”

“I spoke with Lily Evans today.” Hermione said abruptly. Severus frowned and Hermione enjoyed the off-guard look she got from him. “She told me you used to be friends.”

Severus slowly nodded, “Yes, we were friends for much of our childhoods and up until two years ago.”

“She told me you had a row and it was the breaking point for her. That she couldn’t move past it. She told me you had a rough childhood and then came to Hogwarts and were tormented by James and his friends. And then you made her choose sides and she chose to stay with James over you.”

She could see the anger raising in Severus’ eyes. “Had a great time chatting about me, did you? Did it ever cross your brilliant minds that maybe I don’t want to be the subject of your gossip?” He spat at her.

“I know exactly who you are, Severus Snape. You are a death eater and you chose the side of the dark.” Snape’s lip twisted in fury and his jaw jutted out in disgust. “I also know that you were abused as a child and came to Hogwarts looking for a refuge and found none. You found a friend in Lily who turned you away when you needed her the most. I understand why you chose to become a death eater, Severus.”

Severus’ fury seemed to quell and his chest deflated in confusion, “You-? What?”

“You have been scorned by nearly everyone, of course you would turn to someone who offered you acceptance and belonging. I don’t know all the details of what you have been through, but I do understand why you have done the things you’ve done. I don’t believe that you actually want to eradicate muggle-borns. How could you? You’re a half-blood yourself, aren’t you?”

Snape looked shocked, “How did you-?”

“I’ve done my research on you, Mr. Snape. Your records are easily accessed in the hospital wing.” Hermione’s eyes softened. “Your best friend was a muggle born and you are a half-blood. I don’t believe for a second that you believe in the cause you’re fighting for.”

Severus looked like he was warring with himself. He absently rubbed at his left forearm. His dark eyes met hers and for the first time, Hermione felt like she was seeing the real Severus Snape. “He will kill me if I try to leave.”

“I don’t know how we are bonded, but somehow we are sharing these dreams, Severus. So I know that you have seen them too. Do you remember what I said to you in the last dream? About Dumbledore?”

Severus slowly nodded, “You said he trusts me, which I don’t really understand-“

“You don’t need to understand it. Go to Dumbledore and tell him what you have done. Tell him about Lily and that you want to make amends. He will understand, I promise. But you need to do it soon, otherwise you are going to be dragged into the Dark Lord’s inner circle too far and there will be no going back.”

“How do you know all of this?” Severus glared at her suspiciously.

“I know Dumbledore well, and I can tell how this war is advancing. I can see how things are going and it won’t be going well for you if you continue on this path. And I know this isn’t you, Severus.”

Severus nodded and his face looked paler than usual. Hermione reached out and slipped her hand over his in reassurance and was shocked at the sight before her. When she touched him, silvery scars swept over their skin, wrapping around their hands and up their forearms. Her eyes met his in shock. She watched as he traced his finger over one of the welts and a pulse of intense magic snaked through her, sending a shiver down her spine.

He retracted his hand abruptly and the silvery welts disappeared immediately. His brows knit together in confusion and Hermione rubbed her hand absent mindedly. “That was strange.”

“I’ve only ever seen something like that once, but I haven’t taken an unbreakable vow with you, so that doesn’t make any sense. And it didn’t act the same, but it looked a little similar, except it vanished once we stopped touching.”

“Did you say unbreakable vow?” Hermione’s heart was racing. No. This couldn’t be right. She had only read of such things. There was no way that this had happened to her and Severus.

“Yes, it’s a contract where two wizards interlock hands and vow something and if its broken, the person who breaks it will die.”

“It’s considered a vow though? Like a promise made to one another?” Hermione asked, her heart felt like it was going to explode from her chest.

Snape looked particularly annoyed, “That’s what I said, Cresswell.”

Hermione knew what kind of magic this was. She didn’t need a book to tell her that she had made a magical marriage vow with Severus Snape. And it was affecting them both until death did them part, including their pasts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are enjoying the story so far, please consider leaving a comment! I love reading all of them and getting to hear what you guys think about the story so far. Thank you for reading!


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry I haven't updated in a few days! I am in the process of moving, so it has been hectic. This is a short chapter because it is setting up the next one, so a longer one is coming. I promise! I hope you're all doing well, I loved reading the comments on the last chapter and seeing your theories. I'm thrilled you guys are enjoying the story so far.  
> On an unrelated note, I started reading a book called "My Dark Vanessa" that I have been enjoying. I got about halfway through it today, so if you're looking for something to read in that genre, it seems to be good so far!   
> Anyways, happy reading!

## Chapter 18

“I don’t want to do this again, Severus!” Hermione whined, retracting her hand from his. She saw his eyes flash in anger then harden into dark stones of annoyance. They had been at this for hours and she knew he was getting too close to the answer she had to keep him from. Every time he gripped her hand, his thoughts entangled themselves with hers. A side-effect of the magical vows she now knew they shared.

She didn’t know how this was affecting her, since she technically hadn’t married Severus yet. But she knew she would be returning to her time eventually to do just that. And somehow their magic had formed a link that was tethering them together.

She had studied the subject fleetingly while she was bored in the library one night. Unbreakable vows and their place in wizarding marriages had went by the wayside years ago, but she figured whatever reason she had for taking on one with Severus had to be serious. Vows in the wizarding world were very different from the muggle world, as they came with magical bindings.

Between the vows and the time traveling, she was sure something had happened to alter this time line, she just wasn’t sure how. But she knew the time traveling was having an affect on her. She wasn’t sure she would be able to pull off being her younger self when she returned to her own time. She felt older and she knew she looked older. Just looking at the picture she had of herself with Harry and Ron was evidence of that. And she was only almost two years into her mission. She still had one to go. She shuddered to think of what kind of excuses she would have to come up with when she returned to her time.

Severus sighed and started rolling up his sleeve. They had been studying the welts that appeared on their arms when they touched, so he had insisted they roll their sleeves up so he could see how far the welts went up their arms. Hermione was getting exhausted from shutting him out of her mind, though. Thankfully, her weekly occlumency lessons with the headmaster were paying off. But she knew he was figuring out how to get around her shields every time he slipped into her head. The last thing she needed was granting a teenage boy free access to her mind, especially one as dubious as Severus.

“I guess we can stop for the night.” Severus said with a downward turn of his lip.

Hermione rubbed her arm, tenderly cradling it. She felt like every nerve in her was singed with magical burn out. She was getting tired and grumpy just thinking about how tired she was. She was doing twice the work he was, since she had to work so hard to keep him out of her thoughts while doing this.

She had a vague feeling that he was trying to find something while he slipped into her mind. And this was not their first meeting to try to figure out what this bond was. She originally had tried to throw him off by leading him in the direction of legilimency bonds that happened when people tried, or sometimes accidentally, bonded their minds together. He took the bait for two weeks, pouring over books in the library to try to find a way to reverse it. He eventually came to the conclusion that it didn’t make sense that the bond would make visible marks on their skin when they touched.

She then tried to throw him off by accusing him of trying to form a legilimency bond with her and it backfired, leaving a scar. She got the idea for this by Harry’s scar that he carried from Voldemort’s backfired killing curse. Severus spent the next week proving to her that he didn’t do anything of the sort, bringing her tome after tome and pointing out passages that proved her theory incorrect.

It was now almost Halloween and Severus was going back to his original theory of unbreakable vows. She tried to point out that this was impossible since they had never taken any vows together, which is what he was currently trying to figure out. He kept her late twice that week trying to decide if they had been obliviated after taking an unbreakable vow, something Hermione was playing into to bide her time.

“Its getting late, Severus. I think we should return to our rooms for the night.” Hermione yawned for emphasis, hoping he would follow her lead and agree.

Severus started closing the books that were strewn across the table and she followed his lead. She reached for the last book at the same time as he did and they both stopped abruptly. Hermione pulled her hand back and busied herself with the straps of her bag, trying not to feel his gaze on her. Severus cleared his throat before quietly saying, “Hogsmeade weekend is this weekend. I thought maybe we could meet there-“

“I don’t know if it’s a good idea to talk about this stuff in such a public place.” Hermione said, the thought of talking over their current situation in the three broomsticks would almost surely attract the attention of Madam Rosmerta, the biggest gossip in Hogsmeade.

“I didn’t mean to talk about this, Acacia.”

Hermione looked taken aback, “Oh? What did you want to meet for?”

Severus shrugged and put the last book in his satchel, letting his hair eclipse his face from her wondering look. “I just thought it may be nice to meet without studying something once. Forget I mentioned it.” His last sentence came out harsh and quick.

Hermione’s mind was going into overdrive. Did Severus Snape just ask her on a date? No, certainly not. He was not the type to want to pursue anything with her. “No-I mean…I think that would be nice, as well.”

He looked up at her from his bent position in shock before straightening. She had to look up to meet his eyes when he stood at his full height which made her feel small, a feeling she was not used to. She saw him pull nervously at the sleeve of his robes, “Can I meet you at the hospital wing around 2?”

Hermione nodded, “Yes, I should be done with my shift by then.”

Severus’ face seemed to light up a bit and he stiffly wished her a good night before leaving her alone in the brewing room. Hermione couldn’t help but feel giddy anxiety about seeing him outside of the school.

She bit her lip and tried to force down the smile that tugged at her mouth. Severus wanted to see her for something other than academic purposes. Why did the thought tickle her so? She shook her head at her own nonsense and hurried out of the small room and down the hall to own rooms.

\- - -

Hermione’s week seemed to stretch on endlessly, like she was walking slowly down a long hallway with the door she needed to freedom on the opposite end from her. She tried to keep herself busy with work in the infirmary, but as she got closer to her goal of ending her apprenticeship with Madam Pomfrey, the easier the job got. She was in a routine now, understanding her role and what was expected of her. She often found herself hoping for a student to show up to give her something to do, even though she didn’t want anyone to be hurt.

After a particularly slow day in the hospital wing, Hermione was happy to be dismissed for dinner in the great hall and walked with the older witch to the head table. The great hall was decked out for Halloween, glowing pumpkins floating above their heads and fall wreaths hung on the walls.

She tucked into dinner thankfully, enjoying her food and not paying much attention to anything else. She nodded along to Professor Flitwick’s conversation about the muffliato charm and tried to follow Professor Slughorn’s boisterous conversation about some quidditch player he had the pleasure of teaching however this didn’t hold her attention for very long. Quidditch was just not the interesting to her.

After dinner, she left the hall feeling drowsy from the food settling in her stomach and was looking forward to relaxing in her chambers. She was quickly pulled from that, however, when she heard her name being called from behind her. She stopped and looked around, finding Remus hurrying towards her.

Her stomach sank when she saw him, but she plastered a smile on her face. “Remus, how are you?”

He stood close to her so that she had to look up at him. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers and smiled down at her, “Good, good. Say, I was thinking, I was invited to Professor Slughorn’s Halloween party at the end of the week and I…well, I was wondering if you’d like to go with me? Just as friends, of course.”

Hermione was torn. If she went with Remus, that would not gain her any points with Severus. But, she also wanted to keep her friendship with Remus, and after turning him down a few weeks ago, she had worried that he would have sore feelings towards her. This would be a good opportunity to mend things with him. But Severus would not like it one bit. But he was getting her at hogsmeade, so this would only even things out. Right? “Um…I don’t know if it would be appropriate-“ Remus hung his head and shuffled his weight, looking downtrodden. Hermione’s heart felt broken seeing him so sad at her indecision. “But I suppose if we are just going as friends…”

Remus’ face lit up and he looked up with a hopeful spark in his eyes, “So you’ll go with me?”

Hermione warred with herself for a moment more before biting the bullet, “Yes, I’ll go with you. As friends.” She stressed again.

He looked thrilled at her agreement and gripped her shoulders like he was going to hug her, but then stopped himself and pulled away quickly. He awkwardly popped her on the shoulder instead, “I’ll meet you around 6 on Saturday night?”

Hermione nodded and smiled, “Sounds like a plan.”

She watched as Remus bounded off with a hitch in his step.

She was now going to see Severus at 2 on Saturday and Remus at 6. She just hoped she didn’t end up regretting all of these plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are enjoying the story so far, please leave a comment down below to let me know! Thank you for reading!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Hopefully this extra long chapter makes up for the shorter one before it. I hope you enjoy it!

## Chapter 19

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Hermione aimed her wand at her face and tried fruitlessly to charm her glamoured hair into have a slight curl. She had never really needed to curl hair before, since her normal hair was usually a curly mess that she piled on the top of her head in a messy bun, so the incantation sounded foreign on her tongue. She skimmed her finger over the page in a book she had borrowed from the library and tried the charm again. Her glamour held strong and her hair remained stick straight. She sighed, Dumbledore had really wanted to make sure this glamour stuck, obviously.

Hermione turned from the mirror in a huff of frustration and pulled out her beaded bag. Her hand dove into the inside and riffled around until she pulled out a small bag of muggle makeup. She normally never wore makeup or charmed her face to look like she had it on as many of her friends in her time did. Instead, she preferred to use the morning to sleep in since they usually followed a late night of reading.

She pulled out the eyeliner and pulled at her lids, applying the black liner as quickly as possible before her eyes started to water. She then applied two coats of mascara, poking herself in the eye once with the wand and cursing the small, poky instrument. She patted a stain of rouge on her cheeks before swiping a nude lipstick over her lips.

She stared at her reflection and sucked in a breath. She looked so off with the blonde hair, she missed her normal color terribly. She grimaced at the thought of how much her straight, blondish white hair reminded her of the Malfoys. She shook the thought from her mind as she pulled on her healer’s uniform. Hopefully, Severus would like the small bit of effort she had put forth. Her stomach was already flipping at the thought of seeing him that afternoon.

She wasn’t sure why she felt so nervous, other than the fact that he had grown to be a friend…of sorts. However, she didn’t like the idea of him slithering through her mind which is what he had been doing so often lately. But she liked spending time with him. He had grown on her. His acerbic sense of humor had taken some time to get used to, but she soon found herself quipping back to his sarcastic comments with ones of her own. He seemed to enjoy their banter as well; since, occasionally, a small smile would tug at his lips and he would look away from her to hide behind the curtain of black hair that hung around his face.

Hermione was not daft. She knew that Severus was a dangerous person in this time, but she couldn’t come to demonize him like Harry was so quick to do in her time. She understood his need to fit in and she really didn’t see him as believing in Voldemort’s cause. And she knew, sometime soon, he would switch to Dumbledore’s side. She just hoped that her talk with him a few weeks ago had helped sway him.

She took one final look at herself in the mirror before pushing away from the mirror and heading out the door to get to the infirmary. The sun hadn’t come up yet as she walked down to the hospital wing and started her rounds. She kept a low light in the large room as she started her rounds, knowing that getting started before Madam Pomfrey arrived would please the older witch.

She dutifully went about her day, now completely on her own in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was around for her to ask questions when needed, but otherwise she was alone. She kept herself busy by checking on her brewing in her downtime. This was still not enough to keep her occupied though, and Pomfrey must have noticed because at lunch time an owl delivered three monstrous books to her desk in their shared office.

Hermione removed the paper wrappings and saw they were all advanced healing books on wounds from dark magic. Her brows furrowed together as she paged through the thin pages. She wondered why Pomfrey had gotten those books for her. Pushing the odd feeling she got aside, she spent the rest of her afternoon reading the thick tomes.

“What are you reading?”

The deep, quiet voice startled her into closing the book as she jumped. Her hand flew to her chest as she looked up to Severus leaning against the door frame to her office, watching her. “Severus! You startled me!” She laughed and looked over at the book, “It was a gift from Madam Pomfrey, I think. She knows I’ve already read the entire library’s collection on healing books.”

Severus pushed away from the door jam and took a few slow steps towards her. Her eyes followed him as he drew near, forcing her to tilt her head up to watch as he stooped over her desk to examine the books. “Pretty dark material for a school healer.” His eyebrow raised in question and his dark eyes met hers.

Hermione nodded, “I guess she thought it could be useful with the events that are happening right now.”

Severus’ eyes narrowed, “What do you mean?”

She shrugged, “There has been a lot of talk about a wizarding war coming about soon. It seems to look like the events that lead up to one are happening. It would be better to be prepared for the worst than go into it stupidly optimistic, don’t you think?” She gestured to the books.

Severus’ face went stony as he stared at the book. Hermione saw the haunted look in his eyes and quickly grabbed the book from her desk and shoved it into her bag, concealing it from his lingering gaze.

She gave him a small smile as she stood and tucked her hair behind her ear coyly. “Did you want to head off?” Severus nodded curtly and she slipped her arm through his. She noticed the look of surprise on his face, but he didn’t shrug her away.

He lead them out of the castle and down the trail to hogsmeade. It was beautiful at this time of year, everything was painted in bright oranges and yellows. The leaves crunched beneath their feet as they trekked to the small village. She asked him how his classes were going and he gave her an exasperated answer, stating he was more than ready to graduate. It was funny hearing how much he wanted to leave Hogwarts when she knew he was destined to teach there as an adult. It seemed like such a…teenage conversation to be having with someone who she regarded as very much an adult.

“What do you want to do when you’re done with school?”

His brows drew together and he stared at the ground. His eyes shifted quickly to her in embarrassment as he said, “Promise not to laugh.”

Hermione’s lip turned up into a half smile as she rolled her eyes, “I would never!”

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, “I want to be an…auror.” He winced, looking at her as if expecting her to laugh. When he saw her face stay unchanged he continued on, “I-I am good at getting into other people’s minds. And Defense Against the Dark Arts is my favorite class. I think I would be good at tracking down dark wizards….all things considered. I know how they work and think rather well.”

Hermione’s thoughts went to the dark mark imprinted on his forearm. Becoming an auror would be nearly impossible with that on his skin. Aurors had to be trusted with sensitive information about the ministry and a death eater would not be trusted with anything. A wave of sadness washed over her as she listened to him talk about how he thought he would be qualified. The sad part about it was that he was right. He would’ve been a very good auror. He had proved that in her time spying for Dumbledore. In a twisted sort of way…he got what he wanted. “I think you’d make a great auror, Severus.”

His face changed from uncertain to surprise, “Really?”

“Truly. You’re a talented wizard, they would be crazy to not take you.”

His face softened and his lips quirked into an uncertain smile that he quickly hid behind his hair as he looked down at his feet.

They trudged down the path together in the brisk highland air until they reached the bustling village. Hermione watched as the younger students zoomed around the town in little packs of overly-sugared excitement. Severus led her to the bookstore first and she could barely contain her thirst at the sight of all the books lining the shelves.

She ran her fingers over their spines appreciatively. She noticed Severus had fallen behind her and she turned around as her fingers brushed over the books and gave him a heart-felt smile. He stopped, staring at her for a moment before hurrying to catch up to her as she rounded the corner to the next floor to ceiling aisle.

The smell of the place was amazing. She stopped and picked up a huge book on vampires and their culture and fanned the pages, breathing the scent in as she did. She felt her back warming and turned to see Severus was reading the page over her shoulder. “Vampires? You certainly have a strange array of tastes in books, Cresswell.”

Hermione shrugged and gave him a small smirk, “I guess I like things that hang out in dark dungeons.”

Severus frowned at her, “I think they live in normal homes for the most part. They just need to sleep in dark areas shielded from the sun or they’ll burn, but other than that they’re just the same as us.”

Hermione laughed at him and shook her head. The joke was lost on him, of course, since he technically didn’t know just how much time he had ahead of him spent in a dungeon. She shelved the book and moved on to more healing books. She stopped at one book on antivenoms and couldn’t seem to pull herself away from it. She added it to her stack of books she was planning on purchasing and saw Severus looking in quiet astonishment at her haul.

As they exited the store and walked in silence together towards the three broomsticks, she pulled one of the books out of the paper bag and handed it to him. It was dark blue with silver letting embellishing its leather bound surface. “ _Delving into the Layers of the Psyche: A Legilimens’ Guide to Reading the Mind_?” His dark eyes met hers and narrowed a fraction, “How did you-?”

Hermione’s eyes tore away from his and she tucked her hair nervously behind her ears, “I can feel you in my mind sometimes. I-I thought you would maybe find it interesting.”

She felt his hand firmly grasp her upper arm to stop her in the middle of the sidewalk, his dark eyes burned down into her amber ones. “I didn’t mean to intrude, please, Acacia. You have to understand-“

Hermione shook her head, “I’m not angry, Severus. Really, its okay.”

“No, its not.” His voice hardened as did his grip. She glanced down at the hand that was wrapped around her arm and tried to quiet the racing of her heart. “I would never- I didn’t want to-“ He ran a hand through his hair angrily and looked around at the kids scurrying around them. “Not here, its too public.”

He jerked her down a deserted alley and into a small, cramped potions shop. A small, elderly wizard came out of the back and greeted them. “Anything I can help you find today, Mr. Snape?”

Severus’ deep voice boomed around the small walls of the shop, “Nothing today, Mr. Habbertash.”

The small wizard walked towards them frowning, “What?”

Severus’ eyes went up towards the ceiling before he just about yelled at the small wizard, “Just looking today, Sir.”

“Okay, just let me know if you need anything.” The ancient wizard disappeared back behind the counter at the back of the shop and Severus turned to her.

“Where are we?” Hermione asked, looking around at the strange ingredients lining the walls in their glass jars.

The small shop was filled floor to ceiling with ingredients of different kinds in dusty jars. Some suspended in liquid and others dried. Some of the ingredients looked rather questionable. They had hand-written labels under each one, the handwriting almost impossible to read. Hermione reached out towards one of the jars and Severus snatched her hand and held it close to his chest. “Do not…touch that one.” He dragged out his sentence which made her gulp. He sounded very much like her professor in this moment. “You’ll lose the feeling in your hand if you touch it without the proper protection.”

Hermione nodded, wide-eyed.

He sighed and let her hand go, the welts disappearing from their connected hands. “I brought you here because I wanted to tell you that I wouldn’t intrude on your mind if I had the option.” Hermione’s face contorted in confusion. He seemed to wrestle with how he wanted to say what he was going to say to her for a moment, “The dark lord is a legilimens as well, Acacia. Usually, I have nothing to hide from him when he enters my mind, but he saw you in my thoughts. He saw that I noticed that you wear a glamour and he told me to find out why. He thinks that you have been sent to Hogwarts on a mission against his cause since Hogwarts has never taken a student healer on, especially since you are doing your apprenticeship in such a short time. He thinks that the timing of everything is too coincindental and that you are really here to get information on the students who are turning to his side. Which is why you didn’t turn me over to Pomfrey when you saw my mark. Because you need to get close to me to get information from me. It all sounds so ridiculous, doesn’t it?”

Hermione’s heart was pounding in her chest. She could barely hear him over the roaring of blood in her ears. She was sure all the color had drained from her face. She gave him a nervous little laugh, “It does sound outlandish.” The thought of Voldemort being suspicious of her in this time sent a chill down her spine. The last thing she needed was to draw attention from him.

“Don’t worry about it, Acacia. There’s nothing to his theory, so you’ll be fine.”

Hermione shook her head and smiled at Severus, “Of course. I just wish you hadn’t taken that mark, Severus. I’m worried about you…”

Severus looked shocked, “Worried? About me? What for?”

“I just don’t want you getting swallowed up in their ideals. You’re different from them, Severus.” She looked down at her feet, “I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Severus snorted at her, “I can handle myself. And you don’t need to worry, they would never do anything to me.”

“It looked like they did plenty to you the night I found you in the corridor.” She sighed and shook her head, “All I’m saying is, be careful. Okay?”

Severus stared down at her before changing the subject and leading her around the small shop, pointing out some of the more rare ingredients before they left and headed for the three broomsticks once again.

His hand brushed hers as they walked and she felt a spark travel up her arm at the contact. She carefully brushed her pinky against the side of his hand and felt the spark of magic run through her again. She glanced up at him, making sure to hide the fact that she was looking at him, and saw no reaction from her touch. She tried it again, this time lingering a little longer and his eyes flicked down to their hands ever so quickly before snapping back to the road and continuing on his story about hexing James Potter in Defense Against the Dark Arts last week.

They reached the bar and took their seats. They both ordered warm butterbeers and talked for a while, their conversation starting off stilted before easing as the butterbeer warmed them. Hermione giggled at his sarcastic comments and absently touched his hand from across the table. She saw his eyes dart down to where she was touching him and pulled away quickly.

As the time drew near for them to part, he helped her into her jacket and walked with her out of the three broomsticks, leaving a tip on the table for Madam Rosmerta. They walked back to the castle, laughing and chattering as they climbed up the steep trail. The walk was significantly colder than it had been a few hours ago going down, and Hermione’s cheeks were getting rosy in the wind. Severus had just the slightest tinge to his and she saw he was shivering from the cold. The jacket he wore had several holes in it and looked thread-bare. He shoved his hands into his pockets and pushed on against the wind.

Hermione stopped them and pointed her wand at the pockets of his jacket. “What are you-?” She shushed him and muttered a spell under her breath, then smiled up at him. His face changed from suspicion to astonishment as his pockets warmed his hands magically.

“It’s a warming charm, but it should stay in your pockets permanently.” When his eyes narrowed at her, she began feeling a bit foolish, “I didn’t mean to overstep, its just that your coat looks thin and you looked so cold so I-“

Her words died in her mouth as he took a step closer to her. He was just mere inches from her as he towered over her. His hand slid up to her neck and his thumb brushed her cheek softly. She felt like her eyes were going to buldge out of her head as her heart sped up and her stomach tossed inside of her. He leaned down and his lips met her softly. She stood there perfectly still as his lips brushed over hers in a feather light kiss. Her eyes closed and she felt herself leaning into his hard body.

She craned her neck to keep contact with his lips and opened her eyes when her lips met nothing but chilly air. His dark eyes drilled down into hers. “Thank you.” He murmered.

Hermione’s voice was breathy and light, “Anytime.”

He pulled away from her and started walking up the trail once more, leaving her dumbstruck behind him. “Keeping up, Cresswell?” He threw over his shoulder as he got further up the hill.

Hermione shook herself out of her reverie and quickly followed him towards Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are enjoying the story so far, please leave a comment down below! Thank you for reading!


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I stayed up later than usual to get this one done, and I have to say I am tired! Hopefully you will think it was worth it! I so much look forward to reading everyone's comments, so thank you to everyone who has left comments on this story so far. They keep me motivated to keep writing! Thank you all for reading!

## Chapter 20

The blouse fluttered and shifted then fell limp to the bed, unchanged, once again. It had large, mustard colored flowers adorning its navy fabric and short, loose sleeves. Hermione sighed in frustration as she pointed her wand at the fabric and tried again to transfigure it into a suitable dress. Coming from the 90’s, she had very little in her wardrobe that didn’t look out of place in the late 70’s she was currently living in. The shirt shook as it lengthened, the sleeves growing and then stopping at what should have been elbow length. Not exactly the look she was going for; but as long as the dress was long enough, she could live with the sleeves being an odd length.

She held the dress up to her and measured how much it would cover. It seemed like it would fall mid-thigh on her. She held up one of the curtain ties that came from her window and muttered the spell under her breath, watching in relief as the twisted rope changed from a white to a mustard color. The strings making up the rope changed to thin cords of leather and unwound themselves only to plait themselves back together. The large tassels that had hung limply from the ends shrunk down into a mustard clasp for the belt she had just made for herself.

Hermione pulled off the healer’s uniform that she had gone to Hogsmeade in with Severus earlier and pulled on the dress and cinched her waist in with the belt. This was not the most flattering look on her, but it did remind her of the clothes the other girls wore on the weekends around the castle.

Her shoes were the last thing to be changed. From the sensible, white heels she wore to the hospital wing and into taller, light brown mary janes. She strapped her feet into them and stumbled when she took her first tentative steps like a fawn taking its first shaky steps into the world.

Hermione stared at her hair in the mirror, deciding to pull it into a French twist. She left a few wispy strands to hang around her face and charmed it to stay in place. Her makeup from the morning was starting to wear down, so she applied a bit more until she was happy with her appearance.

She checked the time twice while she paced, waiting for the time to be close enough to 6 for her to leave for the hospital wing. Her stomach flipped in anxiety, not sure where that had come from. The scariest, most anxiety producing thing had already happened to her today. She thought back on Severus turning to her and slowly leaning down to kiss her softly after she had applied a warming charm to his jacket.

She touched her lips absently, remember the feeling of his lips brushing against hers. He had smelled just as he did in her dreams, the tang of a woodsy scent she couldn’t quite place but clean and not overpowering. His thumb stroked her cheek and made her skin prick with goosebumps. She had wanted more contact, trying to lean into him more firmly and found herself pressing against the warm frame of his body. He had pulled away, much to her chagrin, and his eyes burned into hers. She would give anything to see that look again.

For now, though, she had agreed to attend Professor Slughorn’s party with Remus Lupin. The quick kiss he had stolen from her almost two months ago barely compared to the one Severus had gifted her with that afternoon. She almost felt bad for going with Remus, but she kept the thought from her mind. She and Severus were not dating, future relationships aside, and he couldn’t keep her from being friends with people. And that’s all she and Remus were. Friends.

She finally left her rooms and headed towards the hospital wing, only to be greeted with a small group waiting outside of its doors. She smiled and gave a small wave as she neared the group of Gryffindors and hurried towards them.

Remus, the tallest of the little group, turned and immediately beamed when he saw her. “Wow, Acacia, you look-“

“Damn, Cresswell, you clean up well!” Sirius’ eyes glinted with a mischievous light. “Sure you want to go with Moony? There’s still time to change your mind.” He laughed and nudged Remus playfully.

“Oh, please, Sirius. Like she would want to go with some dog whose drooling all over her.” Lily rolled her eyes and smirked at Sirius as he made a noise of indignance at her comment. “You look lovely, Acacia.” She smiled at her.

Hermione nodded to Lily, “You look magnificent as well. I wish I could get my hair to look that nice.” Lily had her hair curled softly to frame her pale, pretty face and an olive green dress with a white blouse under it. She turned to Sirius, “You couldn’t find a date for the night?”

Sirius’ eyes flashed in amusement, “Nope, I guess you could say I’m going stag tonight. Eh, Prongs?” The boys laughed and Lily nudged James lightly.

Hermione had to hold back her eyes from rolling out of her head at the puns they thought she was unaware of. It was going to be a long night if they kept this up. “Where’s Peter?” She changed the subject and looked around, half expecting the round boy to scurry out from behind one of them.

“Well, uh, you see…Slughorn’s not a huge fan of Peter’s. He tends to blow his cauldron up more often than not in his class. So Peter never goes to these parties.” James’ hand rubbed awkwardly at the back of his neck, a gesture she was so accustomed to seeing Harry do in her time when he was uncomfortable with something.

“Speaking of, ready to go?” Lupin offered her his elbow and she took it, allowing him to lead her to the party. The small group made their way to the dungeons she was so used to seeing as Professor Snape’s that she was taken aback at the light, airy atmosphere. It was well lit with a massive amount of Halloween decorations hanging from the ceiling and walls. The scent of warm cider hit her almost immediately as she entered the room with Remus.

The room was packed with students, some of whom she thought she almost recognized but couldn’t quite put her finger on who they were. She saw the mass part as Slughorn pushed through towards them. “Ah! There they are! My prized pupils!” He yelled over the music and sloshed his drink over the edge of his glass in delight. He finally squeezed through the crowd and grasped James’ hand first, then Lily’s, then Sirius’, and finally Remus’. His eyes landed on Hermione last and his expression changed from jovial excitement to slight confusion. “Miss Cresswell, I didn’t expect to be seeing you here.”

“She is with me, Professor.” Lupin spoke up and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side.

Hermione wanted to shrug his arm off her shoulders, but quelled the urge. Slughorn’s face went from confusion to a knowing smile and he gave Remus a little wink. “Needed a bit more experience in your life, eh? That’a boy!”

Hermione wanted to be sick at his remark, “Oh, we’re not-“

Slughorn eyed a tall, blonde boy who had just walked in, “McLaggen! Good to you see you!” And he was off to squeeze his way to the student.

Her cheeks flushed with frustration and embarrassment at being cut off and ignored, but she felt Remus’ grip tighten on her shoulder in a reassuring way, “Don’t worry about him, Acacia. He is really only concerned with becoming acquainted with students who he deems worthy. Don’t take it personally.”

“Might be better if he doesn’t care for you, to be honest.” Sirius muttered, watching him dote over McLaggen, spilling his drink on the boy then laughing it away as if it didn’t matter.

Hermione’s lips twitched in amusement at that little comment. Remus, James, and Sirius left the two girls alone to get them drinks and an awkward silence encompassed them. The girls made small talk and Hermione found herself missing Remus immensely in that moment. Conversation with him was so easy; but, then again, she also knew him much better than Lily.

Soon enough the boys returned with drinks and she didn’t feel so much pressure to make conversation. She helped herself to the hors d’oeuvres that floated around the room and laughed along with the little group. She drank a fizzy drink which made her giggle uncontrollably, causing her friends to laugh at her ridiculous outburst. Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment, but Sirius caught onto it quickly and took the drink from her hand and took a sip. As soon as he lowered the glass from his mouth, a bark of laughter erupted from his mouth causing James to splutter his drink in a fit of laughter. Soon, they all were taking turns drinking the giggle juice and poking fun at each other. Hermione gave Sirius a grateful look, which he returned with a wink.

Hermione felt light with happiness, a feeling she hadn’t felt in a long time. She relished in it, laughing along with the others and letting go of the anxiety and worry she felt all the time from the pressure she was under.

As the party roared on, Remus pulled her onto the dancefloor following behind James and Lily. Hermione laughed as he twirled her clumsily and started twisting to the music. She tried to hide her face as he gyrated in front of her, but he pulled her hands down and pulled on her arms and twisted his hips back and forth. She gave into his twisting and followed suit, keeping a close eye on what Lily was doing next to her so she knew what moves she should be doing. Lily effortlessly moved to the music, swaying her hips back and forth as James smiled and shimmied with her to the music.

Hermione laughed as she watched Lupin’s long limbs flailing to the music. She shook her head as he circled around her and she soon felt him pressing against her back. His hands encircled her hips and he was soon guiding her dancing with his rocking pelvis. Hermione laughed at his terrible gyrating and let him lead her for a moment before turning in his grip and pushing away from him. He caught her hand and spun her into his chest then back out at arm’s length.

Hermione’s heart leapt as he spun her and she caught a set of dark eyes watching her. She turned away from Remus, who was so caught up in his own movements he hadn’t noticed her stopping. Hermione searched the crowd trying to find the eyes again, but couldn’t see over all the people. Just as she was about to turn back to Remus; she saw the tall, dark form of Severus Snape in the shadows of the corner of the room.

Her eyes locked onto his dark ones, her stomach feeling like it was plummeting out of her body. His eyes burned into hers and his nostrils flared before he spun on his heel and swept from the room. She pushed through the crowd, intent on catching up to him before his longer legs took him too far for her to meet up with him. She could hear Remus calling her name from somewhere far away as she pushed through the crowd. Huffy girls snarled at her as she struggled through their little groups dancing on the edge of the dance floor.

She finally emerged from the throng of students and ran from the stuffy dungeon room and down the hall where she saw Severus’ robes disappearing around the corner. She rounded the same corner and ran down the dark hallway. She reached a fork and looked wildly around for a glimpse of him. There was no movement, no signal of where he could have possibly gone. She scrubbed her hands over her face in frustration and let out an angry sigh.

Knowing she would never find him at this point, she turned around and took a step only to collide with a hard, black covered chest. She looked up, startled to see dark eyes glinting dangerously down at her. “Severus!” She said breathlessly.

His gaze lingered a moment before he pushed past her and continued to walk down the dark corridor.

“Please, Severus, wait!” He stopped in his tracks, but didn’t turn towards her. Hermione took a tentative step towards him, “I know what this looks like, but its not what you think. Remus and I were just-“

He whipped around and took a step towards her, his body towering over hers. She was met with his angry glare again and had to force herself not to shy away from him. “Just practically shagging for the whole school to see? Yes. I saw it.” He punctuated the last word with extra venom in his voice, the t hissing between his teeth.

Hermione shrank back from him like she had been struck by his words, “We were only dancing, Severus.”

His eyebrow raised, “Is that what you call that?”

“He asked me to the party earlier in the week, we only went as friends. I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

He smirked in mock amusement, “You certainly looked friendly enough.”

“Please, Severus! I wouldn’t have gone with him had you kissed me before I agreed to it. I just went to be nice. It didn’t mean anything!” Her eyes pleaded with him, but his remained cold and stony. She took a steadying breath before continuing, “I…I really like you. I think we could be really good together, if you want that. But I need you to know that I’m not going to stop being friends with people just because you disapprove.” His mouth opened like he was going to say something but she continued, “Remus and I are friends, and if you can’t come to accept that then this is never going to work.”

Severus seemed to deflate as she spoke. His eyes narrowed, “And what is _this_?”

Hermione looked down at her feet not sure of what to say, “I’m not really sure. But if you want it to continue, I need to be able to do things without being scared they will upset you.”

He seemed to be thinking about what she said. She waited, not daring to even breathe as he thought over everything. “I want to know if you make plans with him again.” Hermione was about to protest, but he cut her off, “You may have went as his friend, but he had other ideas. I guarantee it. He has kissed you before, so he is more than interested in you, Acacia. I need to know that you will give me the respect of telling me about your plans before meeting him.”

Hermione’s mouth clamped shut and she nodded her agreement.

His hand cupped her face and his thumb brushed her cheek, “I really like you, too.”

She smiled up at him and covered his hand with hers.

“You should get back to them before they come looking for you.”

Hermione nodded and pulled away from him, “Thank you for understanding, Severus.” She started to take a step away from him, but then turned back to him and quickly kissed him on the cheek. She smiled at him and quickly hurried down the hall, leaving him alone in the corridor. His hand absently touching the spot she had kissed on his cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are enjoying the story so far, please leave a comment down below! Thank you for reading!


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Please forgive my slow update time. I am in the process of moving and trying to prepare for the new school year at a new job in a new state, so I am crazy busy! This chapter was not flowing well for me, so it took forever to write. Fingers crossed that it reads well and you enjoy it. I hope you all are doing well! Happy reading!

## Chapter 21

Hermione hunched over a thick book, drowsily flipping through the pages a couple nights after Halloween. She had not seen much of Severus or any of her companions the past couple of days being so buried in work at the infirmary. Her back was aching and her eye lids felt heavy, but she wanted to get this reading done before she retired for the night.

She yawned, rubbing her dried sticky eyes and willed them to continue to move across the page. Her head felt heavy in her hand and she soon felt herself falling asleep. She shook herself awake and tried again to read the sentence she was stuck on, but failed again to retain what was in front of her. Sighing, she stood and placed a bit of parchment in the book to keep her spot before closing it and stood up to make her way to her chambers.

It was pouring outside she noted as she walked to her rooms. The wind blew chilly air that whipped her hair around her in an angry storm of blonde tendrils. She shivered and watched the rain pour down in sheets that seemed to dance in waves across the black lake.

As she looked out over the grounds she nearly ran into James. She gasped in surprise and saw his pale, worried expression. “What’s wrong?”

James hesitated, his eyes filled with worry. “We need Madame Pomfrey.”

“Madame Pomfrey? But she’s away today on business in St. Mungos.”

James roughly raked a hand through his thick, black hair. His features twisted in consternation before meeting her eyes. “How much do you know about Remus’ condition?”

A sinking dawning of understanding came over Hermione’s features and she looked out the window to the sky. The inky blackness was shrouded in angry clouds and she wasn’t able to see the moon. She turned back to James, worry etched into her features. “Is it a full moon tonight?”

James’ body visibly relaxed before tensing again, “Yes, but you have to understand – he wasn’t in his right state of mind. He would’ve never done it under normal circumstances-“

“What did he do?”

“You can’t let it color your view of him-“

“James!” Hermione shrieked at him, “What did he do?” Her heart was beating out of her chest. The memory of seeing Remus as a fully grown werewolf without wolfsbane in third year was enough to give her nightmares for the rest of her life. Knowing that was what she was going to be walking into was enough to make her stomach turn.

Her shrill voice snapped his attention to her and the color drained from his face. “Its Snape. He and Sirius were having a row earlier today and McGonagall stopped them before anything happened, but Sirius told Severus to meet him at the shrieking shack tonight to finish what they had started. Snape went in and met Sirius and Sirius locked him in there with Remus while he was transitioning. He needs a healer badly.”

Hermione felt like she was in shock. James’ voice seemed distant and muffled in her ears as he recounted what happened. Severus was injured and she was alone. There was no one to help her and make sure she was doing things correctly. _What if he’s so badly injured that I can’t save him? What if Remus bit him and turned him?_ The image of Professor Snape venomously spitting out the term ‘werewolf’ in her third year defense lesson came to her mind. His hatred of the condition clearly evident as he taught. His joyful, hateful glee as he tried to out Remus while he was teaching as their defense teacher. _He will never forgive me if he is turned and it will be all my fault._ Panic gripped at her chest and tears pricked at her eyes. She gasped in a breath, trying to regain her composure even though her entire body was shaking and her mind was spinning out of control.

“Take me to him.”

\- - -

Hermione felt like she was watching herself from outside of her own body as she followed behind James to the whomping willow. The rain was coming down so heavily that it felt like she was swimming as she fought to breathe through it. Or maybe she was fighting to breathe through the gripping anxiety that was tormenting her. It was hard to tell at this point.

Her feet slipped in the thick grass as she neared the cursed tree. She glared at it and watched as James prodded the knot in it to make it freeze as if suspended in time. She hurried after him, losing her footing and sliding down the tunnel at the base of the tree to land unceremoniously on her face. She pushed herself out of the dirt and brushed herself off. James looked nervously back at her before heading off down the narrow tunnel.

Roots hung down from the top of the passageway and grabbed at Hermione’s hair painfully as she walked behind James. They both had to stoop over to fit down the tunnel. She remembered fitting much more easily down the tunnel as a third year when she made her way down the tunnel after Ron with Harry.

That time she had been scared, but this time was different. This time she felt as if she was walking to her own execution. She knew the shrieking shack was where Remus changed every full moon and it had been safeguarded to keep him in for a reason. Werewolves, in their wolf form, are terrifying. They are insatiable in their need to prey on people and infect them with their same lycanthropy virus to grow their pack. They will stop at nothing to get to a person and only needed to break the skin and mix their saliva with regular blood to infect a person for life.

Not to mention changing was a lengthy process, usually, and horribly painful. Many people who are infected choose death over a life as a werewolf because of this. She had seen Remus change once the very same night as the last time she had been through this passageway, and it had been just as horrific as she had read about. It had taken him only moments to change, but at that point in his life he was a seasoned werewolf.

She remembered when she had stayed with him last year that he said he was changed when he was only four years old. He had been attacked in his bedroom by a werewolf and his father had fought him off and rushed him to St. Mungos. He said his father had crossed the werewolf before and the werewolf had used him to target his father. His father spent the rest of his life trying to find a cure to his lycanthropy and uprooted the family many times to keep the condition a secret. She remembered his small, lopsided smile when he reminisced about coming to Hogwarts. He said he made friends who figured out his condition after a few years and stood by him through it, never thinking twice about it. It was the first time he felt accepted, and the first time he had really had any friends.

As they emerged into the dilapidated house, Sirius rushed to James gripping his arms frantically. “We need to leave. Now!” He whispered urgently as he pushed at James trying to turn him around. Sirius looked frantically behind him, not even noticing Hermione stepping around James.

She carefully toed into the center of what would have been a large foyer at one point. She peered into one of the rooms, looking for Severus but not finding him. She heard James and Sirius bickering behind her in hushed tones and continued quickly glancing around the house to find him. She had a sinking suspicion that he wouldn’t be on the ground floor, because that would be all too easy. Taking a steadying breath, she gripped the banister of the stairs and started to climb them, careful for the steps that had rotted through. When she reached the top of the steps, she was immediately hit with the tangy smell of blood. It made her stomach churn and her heart stopped at the sight in front of her.

Shrouded in the darkness was Severus, lying in the hall. There was just enough light coming in through the room beside him for Hermione to see his pale skin was glistening as he lay in a pool of blood. She rushed to his side forgetting to keep quiet, her steps pounding against the wooden floor and echoing around the silent house like an anvil.

Just before she reached Severus; she was met with a huge, skeletal-like wolf. His snout was pulled back in a snarl as he surged towards her, huge paws extended reaching out for her. Hermione shrieked a shrill, blood curdling scream as she was knocked onto her back and the werewolf was on top of her. His paw pressed down on her chest, digging his long claws into her soft skin. It tore with a horrible ripping sound, like wet paper being pulled apart. He raked his paw across her chest in a swift motion and she was vaguely aware that the slippery warmth covering her hands was blood. She screamed as she brought her arms up to protect her head, but no noise came from her. His weight on her was forcing all of the air out of her lungs, making it impossible for her to breathe.

Just as soon as he was on her, Lupin’s werewolf form was propelled from her. She heard a scuffle and a dog crying out in pain before a spell flying. She flipped on to her side, the adrenaline pumping through her veins and pushed to her knees. She crawled to Severus’ limp form. His dark eyes rolled up to meet hers and she frantically tried to think of something, anything, she could do to help him. Her mind was racing with a million thoughts. He was pale, streaked with his own blood. His hair stuck to his cheekbones from the blood and sweat pooling on his skin. He was shaking slightly and his breathing lighter than it should have been.

All she could think about was the blood. Blood everywhere. Her hands were covered in it, her hair dripping with it. The smell was overpowering. It filled her nose and made her stomach queasy. Her hands were shaking as she fumbled for her wand on the blood-stained floor and pointed it shakily at him. She needed to get him out of there as quickly as possible before Lupin came back to them and finished what he had started. She gripped her wand tightly and murmured the levitation spell sending him down to the main floor and out of the entry way into the secret passageway.

She felt arms around her and she yelped before realizing James was helping her to her feet. She looked behind him and saw a large, black dog struggling to get up. James practically pushed her down the stairs and hurried her out to the passageway, urging her not to look back. When they finally made it out of the shack, James quickly warded the entrance so that Remus wouldn’t be able to follow them.

Hermione slumped against the wall, her head swimming from the blood loss. She saw Sirius looking worriedly down at her and he said something, but it sounded far away like he was underwater. She looked up at James and blinked, her brow furrowing. She blinked a few more times, trying to clear the darkness that was closing in around the edges of her vision. Her mouth started to water and she swallowed thickly, but she was salivating so much it felt like she was drinking her own spit. Her hands felt cold and when she tried to raise them to her face, she noticed they felt like lifting lead.

“I think I’m going to-“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are enjoying the story so far, please comment below and tell me your thoughts! I love reading what you think and it keeps me motivated to keep writing! Thank you for reading!


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! It has been a while since I last posted. I am so sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger like that. I am getting into the swing of things now at my new job, so hopefully I will be back to posting more frequently. Thank you guys for being patient with me. I hope you are all doing well and you enjoy the chapter!

## Chapter 22

She was weightless. She was swimming through the air, held back by nothing. Not even her thoughts could ruin this; however they were far, far away slipping through her mind like sand through her fingers. She was spinning but in a soft, dreamlike way. She didn’t want the spinning, weightless feeling to ever leave her.

There was a sudden jolt of pain and her mouth tasted like copper. She could hear voices, someone saying her name? No, she didn’t want that feeling to stop. She clenched her eyes against the pain and willed herself to go back to the weightless feeling of nothingness.

Something was ripping at her, lashing and burning into her skin. She wanted to scream in pain, but she couldn’t muster a breath. She fought to open her eyes, but she couldn’t see anything. Everything was a dark prison of burning pain.

Slurred noises groaned into her ears, too foggy and distant to make out anything. She felt the weightless feeling returning and gladly slipped back into its pain-free embrace.

\- - -

She could hear her heart beating. Her breath came easily, filling her lungs softly as she tested a deep breath. She held her breath in her lungs for a moment before slowly exhaling. No pain came to her, to her surprise. She noted that she was on something soft. She slowly flexed her fingers into the smooth surface.

Memories of blood and pain assaulted her mind. She pushed them away and flexed her feet. They were trapped under something, but she couldn’t tell what. Nails ripping through her skin and the smell of blood. Familiar eyes that had a crazed look flashed in her mind. She pushed that away, the memory making goosebumps form on her skin. Her head felt heavy, but cradled in softness. Her nose burned with the chemical smell of something she knew, but couldn’t quite place. Dark eyes glinted in her mind, her nose filling with the memory of an overwhelming smell of blood.

 _Severus._ Her eyes ripped open. Her lids painfully pulled apart eyes dry with nonuse. She was greeted with a shocking white light that burned her sensitive eyes. She retracted, pulling a hand up to shield her eyes. Her heart hammered in her chest as she struggled to pull herself up.

“Lay back down, dear. You’re safe.”

She tried to argue, but her words fell silent on her dry tongue. She needed to see Severus. “-erus! -erus! Sev-! Severus!” She finally managed his name without her voice going out.

“He is fine, Miss. Cresswell. Now lay back down at once!” The voice said sternly.

She relaxed somewhat and her brain started to catch up with her eyes. Madame Pomfrey’s worried features came into view. She blinked a couple times, trying to force her eyes to focus.

“You had a run-in with a werewolf, Miss. Cresswell. Thankfully, Dumbledore arrived just in time and was able to heal you. You shouldn’t have any lasting damage from the altercation.”

Hermione’s head was running with a million questions. She furrowed her eyebrows at the elder witch. “Healed? How?” She managed to gruffly say.

“Phoenix tears have immense healing powers.” She said with a wry smile.

 _Fawkes, of course._ She thought to herself. Her brow furrowed as she looked around the room. There was no one else in the hospital wing but herself and Madame Pomfrey. She remembered Severus in a pool of his own blood. Sirius had been badly injured and limping if her memory served her correctly. She shouldn’t be the only one in here. “What happened to the others?”

Madame Pomfrey looked away, her mouth slightly parting like she wanted to say something but thought better of it. “Mr. Black and Mr. Potter both spent a few nights here healing-“

“A few nights?” Hermione shrieked in outrage. “How long have I been here?”

Madame Pomfrey’s lips pursed and she glowered at the young girl. “Calm down, Miss Cresswell. You have been here a little over a week. I wanted to make sure you were healed enough before waking you.”

A little over a week? Shock and worry raced through her mind. A twinge of pain licked at her chest and she absently touched it, her fingers meeting the woven cloth of gauze wrap. She looked down at her chest and confirmed that she was indeed wrapped in medical wrap. She looked up at Madame Pomfrey, “How is Remus?”

Worry slipped over Pomfrey’s features and she busied herself with something on her bedside table. “He has healed.”

“But how is he?” Hermione pressed.

“It isn’t really any of my business to be messing about in student affairs.”

“It is your business to be checking on the mental health of the students as well as the physical.” Hermione sniffed. She immediately regretted becoming cross with her mentor. “I’m sorry. I am just worried, that’s all.”

Madame Pomfrey nodded.

“Where is Severus? Has he been by at all?”

The older witch’s eyes flitted to hers as she poured medication onto a spoon. It looked thick and clear, but brownish yellow. The smell was horrible and she had to choke down gagging. The witch pushed her back gently and flicked her wand at her chest. The wrap unraveled itself, exposing her chest to the chilly air. Her hands flew up to cover her breasts and she looked down at herself.

Ragged lines raked down from her right collar bone to her last rib on her left side like canals of pink flesh. They were not completely healed and were indented in her skin, making them look even more gruesome. Madame Pomfrey dripped the medicine on her skin, making it cold and tight feeling. Hermione shuddered, then relaxed as it seemed to cool the burning pain that had begun to nag at her.

Madame Pomfrey cleared her throat as she poured more medication on her spoon and kept her eyes down from Hermione’s imploring gaze. “He was taken to St. Mungo’s immediately after Dumbledore found you.”

“St. Mungo’s? Why wasn’t he given the phoenix tears as well?”

“We tried. Unfortunately, it had a rather… extreme reaction.”

Hermione’s heart leapt, “Extreme? In what way?”

Madame Pomfrey’s eyes grew hard and she looked her dead in the eyes, “Think, Miss Cresswell. Pheonix tears are wholly pure. Why would they react with Mr. Snape?”

Hermione’s eyebrows knit together and then a sudden dawning realization hit her. Severus took the dark mark, which is dark magic. Pure magic intermingling with dark would react violently. She looked up at Madame Pomfrey in realization and she nodded.

“The phoenix tears could not be used on him, only wizarding magic. St. Mungo’s saved his life, but he may have some lingering effects.” Hermione’s mouth opened to ask another question, but Madame Pomfrey cut her off. “And before you ask, no he was not turned. Just badly injured.”

An exhalation of relief escaped her and she visibly relaxed. She closed her eyes and let the mediwitch tend to her. She felt the grit of exhaustion weigh her eye lids down and soon she fell into a deep sleep again.

\- - -

The next few days seemed to slowly trickle by as she worked to catch up on her apprenticeship work with Madame Pomfrey. The only reprieve she allowed herself were short breaks to let the elder witch fuss with her wrappings or apply more salve to her healing scratches.

After much reassurance and bargaining, Hermione was finally free of the hospital wing and couldn’t wait to get back to her chambers and sleep in her own bed. When she stroked the painting of the black cat that guarded her door, it swung open to reveal a dark room, bathed in an iridescent pale glow of the moon coming in through her windows. She flicked her wrist and a fire sprang to life in her fireplace. The flames burned a bright blue, one of her favorite charms she learned in her first year at Hogwarts. She slipped her shoes off and sat tiredly on her bed.

She didn’t want to worry Madame Pomfrey, but her chest still twinged with pain. Only time would help the pain die at this point. She had been stuffed full of so many healing potions the past week and a half that she couldn’t believe she felt anything at all.

She wondered absently how Severus was doing. She would need to look for him as soon as she could tomorrow and make sure he was alright. She shook the memory of his dark eyes glazed over in pain from her mind and slipped under the covers of her bed to relinquish control of her mind and let it float into a dreamless sleep.

\- - -

Piercing blue eyes blazed into her as she tried to hold herself together. “Do I need to tell you how irresponsible your actions were, Miss Granger?”

Hermione had awoke the next morning to a persistent tapping at her window and found a large, magnificent owl looking quite perturbed at her lack of consciousness. The owl carried a small parchment with the official Hogwarts crest pressed into a deep burgundy red wax. She opened it and recognized the handwriting immediately as Professor Dumbledore’s.

She shook her head as it hung in shame. “You could have been killed. You would have altered the timeline completely if Mr. Potter hadn’t altered us when he did.”

Her eyes met his tentatively, embarrassment tinging her cheeks. “I am sorry, sir. I know how important it is for this to go correctly.”

The wizard sat back in his high backed chair, steepling his fingers and seeming to look her over as if not sure what to do with her. Hermione felt the shame settling in her stomach. The silence seemed to stretch for miles between them until he finally said, “That was very courageous of you, Miss Granger. To go into a building knowingly with a werewolf to save another student, that is something most wizards would never do. That kind of selflessness and courage is exactly what we will need to win the war.”

Hermione blinked in confusion. Did she just hear him correctly? “Sir?”

His eyes twinkled in amusement at the shocked look on her face. “You have proven to me that the mission I have given you is in good hands. However,” He inclined his head to look her in the eye sternly, “I trust I will not warn you again of the consequences your actions have on the future?”

Hermione shook her head dutifully, “No, sir. It won’t happen again.”

“Good!” The wizard’s features lightened as he stood. “Now, off you go.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hermione's days at Hogwarts are quickly drawing to a close. It will be sad to move on from writing this part of the story, but I have things that I am excited to get on to writing in the future. I hope you all are doing well and enjoying the story so far! My computer is about to die, so I am making this note short, but I appreciate you all for reading and commenting. You guys are the best!

## Chapter 23

Hermione looked bleakly across the first snow of the season drifting lazily from the sky to cover the grounds in a sloppy mush. The flakes were large and wet making her hair frizz as it dried in the warm castle air. Dinner had already started, but she couldn’t bring herself to join the throng of students as they tucked into the steaming food.

She had made it through the week, just barely. It was the end of November and she was on her own for most of the students who entered the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey was only there to support her if she had any questions. The time for her healer’s finals were quickly approaching although, her days seemed to slowly crawl by. Her mind far away from the bumps and bruises that were thrust in front of her. No. Her mind was on much more pressing matters. Normally, she would never consider anything more pressing than finals, but the only thing she spent her time doing this entire year was study and practice. And, well, she couldn’t help but be distracted.

Severus had yet to return to Hogwarts and her mind was riddled with worry every passing day that she didn’t see him. In the mornings, she would look hopefully towards the Slytherin table to catch a glimpse of him scowling at his classmates or reading as he ate. Unfortunately, this hadn’t happened yet and she was growing more concerned.

She tried bringing his absence up subtly with Madame Pomfrey, but the witch would only shrug and say some noncommittal “He is in good hands” remark. She wanted to leave the castle and go to him, but she couldn’t attract that sort of attention to herself. Seeing a student as anything more than a student was strictly forbidden, even if she was younger than him.

She jumped out of her skin when she heard a voice come from over her shoulder, “Acacia?”

Hermione turned and found soft, warm eyes looking questioningly at her. “Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you behind me.”

Remus nodded and looked worriedly at her, “How are you doing?”

Hermione’s hand absently raised to her chest to trace the scars that were engrained in her skin. “I’m doing fine. How have you been?”

The boy looked down at his feet awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck, “I’ve been better. Listen, I wanted to apologize for what happened the other day.”

Hermione shook her head and gave him a small smile, “You don’t need to-“

“I do!” Remus insisted. He put his hand gently on her shoulder and Hermione flinched like his hand was made of fire. He quickly retracted his hand, the look on his face falling to shame and sadness.

He stepped back from her and she took a step towards him, reaching out in apology. “Remus, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-“

He shook his head that hung over his slouched shoulders, “No, I get it. I understand.”

“Remus, please, I didn’t mean to… Nothing has changed how I see you. You have to understand. It wasn’t your fault. I’m just…adjusting. Please don’t feel bad for what happened.”

His usually soft eyes met hers with an angry hardness. “How can I not? What I did,” He looked around the hall to see if anyone was close enough to hear him. He whispered, “it was unspeakable.”

A wave of sadness washed over Hermione to settle in the pit of her stomach. She opened her mouth to speak, but he shook his head and started backing away from her.

“I have to stay away from you, Acacia. It’s not safe. I couldn’t bear hurting you…again.” He swallowed thickly and turned from her.

“Remus, wait! You’re my friend and I care about you. Please don’t shut me out.” Her heart sunk as he continued to walk down the corridor, not listening to her pleas.

Hermione’s breath hitched on a silent sob. This is not how this was supposed to go. She was not supposed to be the reason Lupin thought he was too dangerous to be around. She wasn’t supposed to be the reason he refused to get too close to anyone in fear he would hurt them. She thought of hearing Tonks plead with him to marry her. He had refused because he thought he would be putting her in danger by just being around her. And it was all her fault.

Tears prickled at her eyes and she started to quickly walk back to her rooms. Pulling the sleeves of her mediwitch robes over her hands, she swiped away the tears angrily as she fled down the corridor and through secret passages only to almost run right into Professor McGonagall.

“Miss Cresswell? Whatever is the meaning of this?” Her thick, Scottish accent rang through the deserted passageway.

Her watery, bloodshot eyes met the older witch’s confused gaze and she looked up at the ceiling in frustration. “I’m sorry, Professor. I was just going to my rooms.”

Her stern features softened a little, “Why don’t you walk with me?”

“Oh, Professor, that’s kind of you, but my rooms are out of your way and-“

“Nonsense. Walk with me.” Hermione hesitated, looking at her head of house’s kind, but firm, face. Her hair was a deep brown and piled on top of her head in a crown of long locks. Her eyes were bright and her lips still quirked up in a knowing smile like she was used to. Her face was much less withered and her high cheekbones framed her face. Knowing that face, Hermione sighed and fell into step with the witch. “How have you been, Cresswell?”

Hermione sighed, not really knowing what to say. “I am…a bit stressed, if I’m being completely honest.”

The witch nodded her head in understanding. “Your apprenticeship is almost over, correct?”

Hermione nodded. She hadn’t even thought of where, or when, she would be sent to next. “Yes. It doesn’t seem to matter how much I study and prepare myself, I always feel like I am going to fail. And it seems like everything is riding on me succeeding.”

The witch pursed her lips in thought before saying, “Sometimes the best part of the day is that your chair spins. And you just have to hold onto that.”

Hermione snorted, “I agree with you there, Professor.” She sighed as they rounded another corner, “I just feel like I am being tested all the time.”

“Keep the heid, Cresswell.” McGonagall said plainly as they stopped in front of Hermione’s chambers. “Life is a test, you would do well to remember that.” Her lips quirked up in a knowing smile before she turned and walked away.

Hermione watched her favorite professor swiftly make her way down the hall. She felt slightly better now, thankfully. However, she still just wanted to curl up In bed and lose herself in a deep sleep. Before she could do just that, she had to drag herself to the bath.

Torrents of steam curled around her as the water filled the clawfoot tub. She poured a potion she made herself into the tub to create a heady scent of gardenia and jasmine. Bubbles quickly rose to the surface and when the tub was full, she lowered herself into the hot water.

Hermione closed her eyes and let her body melt into the water. She sighed in contentment and lost herself as her thoughts seemed to lighten and float away.

Something brushed against her arm lightly and she ignored the feeling, too relaxed to care. Then she felt fingers trailing lightly on her skin and she jumped at the contact, her eyes flying open to see what had touched her.

She was met with dark eyes and a smirk, “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Severus? How did you get in here?” Hermione looked down at herself and crossed her arms over her chest as best she could.

He raised his head and looked around the bathroom before shrugging, “I’m not really sure.”

Hermione’s brow furrowed. Remembering what Dumbledore had told her, she reached for the towel beside the tub, only for her hand to seem to not be able to grab it. It was like she could reach for miles and still not be able to get ahold of it. “You’re not really here, are you?”

Severus smirked at her, “No, I’m definitely here.”

She rolled her eyes, “I mean, you’re not here physically. I must have fallen asleep in the tub.”

He seemed to consider this before nodding slowly. His eyes raked over her chest to where the deep claw marks marred her skin. His hand reached out to run a finger over the scars and she shivered with the contact. He frowned when his hand met her arms that were still firmly covering her chest. “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine. It twinges occasionally, but otherwise I am healed. How are you doing?”

He sighed and seemed to be far away in thought, “I don’t really know.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I don’t know if I’ve awoken yet. The last thing I remember is that _werewolf_ ,” he spat the word, “jumping on top of me.”

Hermione’s face fell and she looked away from him. Sirius and James could be so cruel sometimes. And all they had gotten were slaps on the wrist from the headmaster. And Remus was in a terrible state now from their little prank. “Severus, what if you never wake up?”

He snorted and smirked to himself, “That would be a sweet release. No, I would never be that lucky.”

Hermione restrained herself from rolling her eyes. “You shouldn’t say things like that, Sev.” She chided.

“Don’t worry about me, Cresswell. I will live to hear another boring lecture from Professor Bins soon enough.”

Hermione smiled slightly at that. Worry still wriggled at the back of her mind, but she relaxed slightly at his nonchalance.

“You still look worried, Cresswell.”

Hermione shifted uncomfortably under his gaze and hesitated before saying, “I just wish I could be there with you. I have been trying to find something that could heal you without reacting to your mark. I just need more time-“

“What if there was a way that you could be here with me?”

Hermione’s eyes narrowed, “What do you mean?”

Snape stood up slowly, gracefully. It was almost too fluid to be real. He offered a hand to her and she cautiously took it. He helped her to her feet, and she looked down to see the tub she had been standing on had turned to a stone path. Her robes had also appeared, and she looked up at Severus in confusion. “How did you do this?”

He smirked at her and started walking away, “You coming, Cresswell, or are you just going to stand about all night?”

Hermione watched as he neared a huge iron gate that creaked open as he neared the entrance. Beyond it lay a mansion that was too big for her to see its entirety through the opening the gate left. Something felt wrong about this. Her brow furrowed as she warred with herself. She trusted Severus…didn’t she? Her eyes flicked from the mansion to Severus who was waiting for her at the gate’s entrance.

“Well?” He pestered.

Taking a steadying breath, she pushed aside the uncertainty that weighed heavily in her stomach and quickly hurried to join Severus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Off tangent, but I turned one of those wands with the light up tips into a laser pointer for mh class, and the kids loved it. Guess whose wand it was? Lol  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Can some of you guess where this is leading?   
> Thank you for reading! And, as always, I love interacting with you guys in the comments, so please drop one below!


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life is really hard right now, so I'm sorry for the slow update. I know that most of you were expecting something entirely different, but it will make sense eventually I promise! I hope you are all doing well and staying safe. Happy reading!

## Chapter 24

Water was filling her lungs. Her hands grasped onto the sides of something hard and she pulled herself up. Spluttering and coughing, she broke the surface of the water sending waves of lukewarm water all over the bathroom floor. Her hands shook as she wiped the streams of water running into her eyes away. Her entire body was quaking and she had to grip the sides of the tub to get some semblance of control back.

Hermione pushed herself up and got out of the tub. She slipped on the wet tile and caught herself just before she hit her head on the side of the clawfoot tub. Her knee banged on the floor painfully and she winced at how close she had just become to knocking herself out.

She slowly stood again, a shaky hand pulling the towel from its bar beside her to wrap herself in its soft warmth. Her teeth chattered as she bent over and grabbed her wand from the floor. It was sopping wet and little drops of water dripped from its tip onto the pool of water she was standing in. She flicked her wrist and the water soaked itself up into the air.

She hurried from the bathroom and into her quarters, quickly pulling on her pajamas and then her robes. In too much of a hurry to even put on shoes, she fled her rooms. The cat in the portrait guarding her door hissed as she quickly slammed it shut and hurried towards the infirmary.

Her feet felt like ice on the cold, stone floor of the castle. She didn’t even cast lumos to illuminate her way, she was so used to the path to the hospital wing. She faintly noticed the light snoring coming from the frames around her, one tutting her about being out so late at night.

When she finally reached the hospital wing, she unwarded the doors before slipping between them and into the moon-soaked room. Only a couple students slept in the beds lining the hall, she tried to be a silent as possible as she ran past them and into the office.

She flicked her wand at the cabinet that lined the back wall of the office and the magic shivered and melted away, the spells guarding the medication lifting. She whipped open one of the doors and riffled through the jars, some knocking over onto the floor, others tinking together dangerously.

When her eyes finally met the glass bottle of shimmering blue liquid, her trembling hands snatched it clumsily from its spot and she unstoppered it, greedily drinking its contents down. She closed her eyes and waited.

One thousand one...one thousand two...one thousand three…She breathed a sigh of relief as the tension in her body seemed to melt away. She rolled her head from one side to the other, loosening her neck muscles. She flexed her hands, the shaking dying away from them. Her mind cleared and she could think again, but she was so relaxed that she didn’t feel the need to.

She slowly turned from the office and walked softly and slowly down the rows of beds and out of the hospital wing. She lazily flicked her wand at the infirmary door to ward it and made her way back to her rooms. The cat in her portrait looked cautiously at her as she soothed it, softly patting its head before it let her back into her room.

She climbed into bed and sank into the softness of her bed, enjoying the feeling of the sheets against her skin. Everything was beautifully soft and warm. She was safe.

\- - -

Hermione dragged herself to the head table for breakfast and cradled her double shot iced coffee tenderly, like you would a lover. She sipped its caramel sweetness down and closed her eyes in appreciation. Last night she had woken from the worst nightmare, but, try as she might, she couldn’t remember it. She assumed she had woken herself with her own scream, because her throat felt dry and ragged when she woke up this morning. In the night, she woke covered in her own sweat, shaking and paranoid. It took almost everything she had in her to run to the infirmary to take a calming drought.

After that unpleasant experience, she slept peacefully. That is, until her alarm woke her up this morning. She considered calling out, she was so tired. But she knew she needed to take this mission seriously and use her time to cram as much information into her mind as possible before she was sent off to another time.

She chewed on a piece of buttered toast as she looked over the daily prophet. More muggles mysteriously missing, some shops that had been vandalized whose owners were known muggle-born allies. She looked over the great hall to the Gryffindor table and saw the little group of friends bent over something and looking worried. She assumed they were talking about the deaths in the paper as well. The war was starting to ramp up. You couldn’t go a day without seeing at least a few muggles or suspected muggle allies being horribly murdered. Less often, but not so that it blended in with all the other carnage, there was a large display of power from Voldemort. Usually ending up in the death of many innocent people or some just vanishing into thin air.

Hermione felt someone’s eyes on her and she looked down at her own paper, trying to pretend she hadn’t just been staring at James and his friends rather intently. She finished her toast and drank some of her juice, but she still felt like someone was watching her. She scanned the room over the brim of her glass as she drank and froze when her eyes met a pair of dark eyes.

The juice caught in her throat and she spluttered, coughing loudly and causing Pomfrey and Flitwick to worry over her. She waved them off and assured them she was fine, just didn’t swallow properly.

Wiping at the juice on her healer’s robes before remembering that she had magic, she then scrougified herself and looked hurriedly up. Her eyes scanned the Slytherin table until she found a group of boys shielding themselves from the rest of the hall as they ate. In the mix of the group was Severus, looking pale and worn as ever. This morning, he seemed to be in an even worse mood than usual, judging by the look on his face and she wondered why. Logically, he should be happy to be out of the hospital wing and back in school, right?

She stared at him, trying to catch his eye, but he seemed to be trying very hard to not meet her gaze. _Look at me._ She willed him in her head. His eyes did finally meet hers for a brief moment. The intensity was staggering. He dragged his eyes back to his friends and tensely perched in his seat until it was time for classes to begin.

Hermione rushed out of the great hall with the throng of students trying to catch Severus, but he stalked down the hall with Mulciber and Avery much faster than she could walk.

She sighed and headed towards the hospital wing, preparing herself for another day of study. He was definitely avoiding her, and she needed to find out why.

\- - -

The day passed without much to be said about it. She did some reading from one of the books she had bought with Severus while they were in Hogsmeade and tended to the stray student who wondered into the infirmary. She brewed a batch of pepper up potion and bottled it before filing it away in the cabinet in the office.

As the time trickled down to when she could leave, she got more anxious. She needed to catch Severus, and she knew that he was impossible to catch when he didn’t want to be. The hardest part was figuring out where he would be. She couldn’t get into the Slytherin common rooms without a valid healer’s reason and she doubted she would be lucky enough to run into him wondering the halls.

After her shift, she wondered the halls, slowly combing through the lesser known hiding spots that she knew he liked to use for studying. She absently rubbed her arm and continued walking. She found herself outside, wondering down to the black lake. Something was pulling her there, but she didn’t know what. She just had this _feeling_ that he would be there. It was intuitive, even though she had never met with him here. The lake was frozen over and still. Her breath came out in a fine mist as she slowly walked down to the boat house. She shivered from the cool Scotland air, her nose and fingers feeling like ice. She should’ve worn a jacket, but she really hadn’t planned on leaving the warmth of the castle.

As she entered the small, wooden structure, she saw the black silhouette of Severus. He was leaning against the edge of the opening, staring out into the lake. She paused, not sure of how to approach him. There was an edge to how he held himself, something she hadn’t really seen in a while. Of course, he was guarded when around the castle, but he usually relaxed ever so slightly when he was with her.

“You shouldn’t be here.” He said darkly.

Hermoine pursed her lips, staring at his back, “Neither should you, but here we are.”

Severus pushed himself from the wall of the boat house and turned towards her. She took tentative steps towards him until she was close enough to touch him. He towered over her, but she set her jaw. The look in his eyes was something she had never seen before. Anger? Remorse? Guilt? She couldn’t quite put a finger on it. “I meant here. With me.”

Hermione’s lips quirked up in a small smile, “And do tell me why I shouldn’t?”

His hands flashed out and gripped her arms, his fingers clasped into her so tightly she could swear she would have bruises tomorrow. His face turned dark and angry as he pulled her close to him. She could feel the rigidity of his body against her. “What do you remember from last night?”

Hermione’s heart felt like it was going to pound out of her chest. She wouldn’t be surprised if he could feel it through his robes. “Just that I fell asleep in the tub and almost drowned.”

“Think harder, Acacia. What happened while you slept?”

Hermione’s voice was shaky as she recounted seeing him in the bathroom with her. As she replayed the memory in her head, she vaguely remembered him taking her somewhere but she couldn’t remember where. The harder she thought about it, the queasier she became.

Her face turned pale and his eyes bore down into hers. “Do you remember where you were taken?” His voice was a deadly whisper.

Hermione shook her head, her blonde hair slipping over his hands. “N-no.” A sense of doom came over her. Her heart sank in her chest like it was made of lead making it impossible to breathe. She was shaking now, her hands getting clammy the more she thought about it.

His eyes searched hers and she felt his mind slip into her own. Her startled eyes met his and went into a frenzied panic. Her mind was racing and nothing was making sense. He snarled and pushed her away from him.

She stumbled back, catching herself before she fell off of the dock and into the frozen lake. “Leave me, Acacia.”

She was jerked back into reality in shock, “W-what? Why?”

“It is not safe. You must go.”

“Severus, you don’t get to tell me what I can and can’t do. If I want to be-“

“Go!” He roared.

Hermione’s heart leapt and she jumped in shock. The look of fury on his face was foreign to her. There was also something else there that she didn’t understand. But she didn’t have time to think on it. She shakily backed away until she made it out of the boat house to turn and run towards the castle. She looked back and saw Severus’ crumpled form on the ground, his hands covering his face.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I know the last chapter didn't make sense, but bear with me! I promise it will make sense as you read on. I have been leaving little things throughout the story that will tie in together as we go on, and that happened to be a rather large and obvious one. The next hop she makes in time will explain it.   
> I hope everyone is doing well! The school year is especially tiring this go around, as I'm sure some of you can relate. But writing is helping me take my mind off things. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I do writing! Happy reading!

## Chapter 25

Snow was drifting slowly to the frozen ground creating a blanket of sparkling white across the streets of Hogsmeade. Hermione’s feet crunched through the snow as she walked through the little town. Winter break was only a few days away and she knew her time in this time was drawing to a close.

She could hear the faint tune of carollers in the distance, muffled by the thick layers of snow piled on top of the buildings. She turned down the street, casting a glance at the three broomsticks. She longed to be making her way into the warmth of the bar and see Harry and Ron laughing together as they waited for her to show. Harry’s eyes would light up a bright green as he and Ron would strategize the next quidditch match. Ron’s large hands would move about the table as they planned out who would be where on the pitch, Harry nodding along pretending like he understood Ron’s mental map. She would walk in and they would wave her over and she would sit down with them and worry over their forgotten homework to which they would dismiss telling her to lighten up. Ron would surely put his foot in his mouth, as he always did, and Hermione would exasperatedly correct him and Harry would laugh. She missed worrying over homework with them. And laughing with them. She just missed…them.

Her mind felt darker, and it was getting harder and harder to think positively these days. She wasn’t sure why her mind was behaving this way other than she could have seasonal depression. Although, she hadn’t really ever experienced that before. She was usually excited to take her finals around this time and see her family for the holidays. She should be happy to be moving on to a new time and looking forward to learning something new. So far, being with Lupin to expedite her coursework and then being with Madame Pomfrey had been good experiences. She had spent quite a bit of time wondering where she would be sent to next.

Hermione walked by another shop window frosted over by the cold Scottish weather but stopped when a gleam of light caught her eye. In the window of the shop was a silver fountain pen that caught the light it was under and gleamed. She had always been fond of good pens and found herself going through quills left and right as their nibs were bent out of shape from her furious note taking. This pen, however, looked like it was made of some sort of ethereal metal. It looked sturdy but had delicate filigree winding around it.

She bit her lip as she examined it in the window, warring with herself on if she should go in and at least look at it a bit closer. After a few moments of thought, she shook her head and continued on her way down the street for the last bit of shopping she needed to attend to before heading back to the castle.

\- - -

“Ready to go?”

Hermione nodded and offered Remus a small smile. The tall boy was waiting for her outside of her portrait entrance to escort her to the three broomsticks for her going away party with James and his friends. She fidgeted with her fingers awkwardly as they walked in silence down the hall.

“Remus-“

“Acacia-“

They both started. Hermione looked up at his scarred face as he diverted his gaze to the stone floor and rubbed his neck, obviously uncomfortable. She steeled herself and unconsciously balled her fists, quieting her fidgeting hands.

“I just wanted to say that I know you blame yourself for what happened and I want you to know that you are still the same person I knew before. What happened to you isn’t your fault and I would never want you to feel guilt over something you can’t control. Its like being held hostage in a body that is foreign to you and watching through the eyes of someone else, from what I understand anyway.”

His soft eyes met hers, “How did you know that?”

She smiled a little to herself, “A friend of mine explained it to me once.”

“The same friend who taught you the spell to heal the cuts that you taught to me?” His voice was a whisper as his eyes met hers.

Hermione met his gaze steadily before nodding. She sighed and looked away, “He was a good friend to me. A mentor, really. He had a rough go of it, but he became an outstanding wizard.” She paused and smiled before bumping her shoulder into his upper arm, “Like I know you will be some day.”

He snorted and nudged her back with a small smile, “Thank you, Acacia.”

As they wound their way through the castle and out onto the snowy grounds, they talked as if time hadn’t passed in silence between them. Remus talking about how excited he was to take his NEWTs next semester and Hermione talking about her medical examinations that she had finished up last week. She wouldn’t say that they had been easy, but she felt like she had been prepared walking into them.

They crunched through the snow covered trail towards the three broomsticks where they would meet up with James, Lily, Sirius, and Peter. It was dark and the air was icy against their faces, Hermione could tell her cheeks were getting burned from the wind.

Remus held the door for her as they entered the tavern and the heat that welcomed her gave her a shiver. She smiled as the group of friends waved them over and she walked with Remus to join them at a table in the back.

The tavern was decorated in wreaths and red ribbon and smelled like pine and cinnamon. The flickering candles were bright in the small space, making it more cheerful than usual.

Remus helped her out of her coat and pulled out her chair before sitting in one next to her. She caught the knowing look Lily gave her but pretended she had no idea what the other girl was on about. Sirius, James, and Peter already seemed to be buzzed as they laughed together.

Lily’s green eyes turned to hers and sparkled warmly as she smiled at her, “So, where are you off to after this? Do you think you’ll go to St. Mungo’s or something else?”

Hermione frowned slightly, thinking about the different possibilities of where she could be sent to next for the Order. For her son. She shook off the feeling and pretended to be wavering on her decision, “Well, I thought going back to France would be nice. I miss it.”

She could see from the corner of her eye Remus’ face sadden a bit. Lily saw it too and quickly tried to recover, “But I’m sure you’ll make it back here sometimes, right?”

Hermione smiled and tried to make herself sound convincing, “I’m sure I will.”

Remus sat up a little straighter and she couldn’t force herself to meet his hopeful face. She knew that she wouldn’t see him again, not in this time at least. She looked at James’ arm draped over Lily’s shoulders and how she turned into him. They looked so _comfortable_ with each other. Like two pieces of a puzzle that had always meant to be connected together.

She looked away. Knowing that in just a few short years they would be permanently forced from this world to leave their son on his own was too much to bear. She sipped on her butterbeer that Madam Rosemerta had set down in front of her a few minutes earlier.

“Oi there! Don’t look so sad, bird! You’ll get to see me again, I promise.” Sirius winked at her from across the table and she laughed and rolled her eyes.

“And I’m sure it will be a pleasure, as always, Sirius.”

“I can make it pleasurable for you, luv.”

Peter and James laughed at Sirius’ obvious double entendre and Remus’ eyes lit up in an angry flash of heat. Sirius saw his shift in mood and backed down.

Lily sneered at him in a deadpan voice, “Charming.” She rolled her eyes and met Hermione’s again, smiling, “How did your exams go?”

Hermione and the little group of friends chatted and drank. She found herself falling easily into their company again. Sirius and Remus she was used to, however the teenage hormones she wasn’t. But their personalities she was. James and Lily were, essentially, just two different sides of Harry so getting along with them came easily as well. She wondered if she had been born in this time if they would’ve been friends.

She thought back to her first year at Hogwarts, how scared and anxious she had been. She read everything she could get her hands on to try to keep up with the students who were born in the magical world. She felt like she was constantly running behind, trying to catch up with everyone else.

She remembered many lonely nights in the library, studying until her eyes were sticky and tired. She would head to the bathrooms and shower. Letting the water wash her tears down the drain so no one would know how alone she really felt. She longed for home, however home wasn’t much better.

Her parents had noticed the strange things she could do from an early age and were afraid. They closed themselves off from her and kept her at an arm’s length. It wasn’t that they didn’t love her, it was just that they didn’t understand her.

One day at school, a rather unpleasant girl in her grade had pushed her to the ground and laughed at her. Making fun of her frizzy hair and overall “ugly” appearance. She had felt an anger bubbling to the surface, one she couldn’t control. She glared at the girl with her perfect, milky skin and smooth hair. Her shimmering earrings and the smallest amount of makeup that highlighted her eyes. Hermione’s parents would have never let her wear makeup at such a young age. And she resented the girl for it.

In a fit of anger, she felt a surge run through her body and soon the girl’s hair was lit with a blue flame. She shrieked and her friends cried out in horror. Hermione’s eyes widened in shock and she shakily backed away from the girl. The supervisor rushed over with horror written plainly on her face and started frantically patting the girl’s head to get the fire out.

The stench of burnt hair still haunted her memories to this day. After that incident, her parents had never looked at her the same again. They were almost relieved when her letter of acceptance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry came to them when she turned eleven. Someone was willing to take her away to a boarding school and teach her how to control her…abilities. It was the best birthday gift her parents could have gotten.

She had been a lonely child. Never having friends and being ostracized by her family. That is, until she was saved by two boys in her first year at Hogwarts on Halloween. After that day, Harry and Ron had been her first real friends. Harry being incredibly kind and Ron being fiercely protective of her. She had never felt that kind of love before.

Something told her that she would have been more alone in this time. Sirius was too interested in pretty things he could add to his collection of conquests and James could be cruel to those who didn’t fit in. Lily was nice, but she was far too popular for Hermione to have fit in with. Remus was sweet but was far too busy keeping everyone away for her to have made any connection with him. The only reason he had Sirius and James was because they were persistent. Peter, well, she really didn’t care for him.

Hermione wondered if she would have been friends with Severus in this time. The thought of him sank like lead in her stomach. The way he had gripped her in anger the other day by the lake still had her feeling shaken. She didn’t understand what he was talking about or why he had been so angry with her. She had kept to herself after that, not wanting to cross him again.

The thought of her impending marriage to him made her sick to her stomach. If he could get that angry with her when she thought he had feelings for her, what would he be like when he only saw her as the insufferable, know it all child from his potions classes? She shuddered at the thought. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about hurting his feelings by leaving him in this time. Remus, however…

The thought pulled her back into their conversation about their plans for after graduation. Hermione nodded along with them while knowing many of these plans would never happen.

As the night drew to a close, she made her way back to the castle with the group of friends and laughed along with them. When they got to a fork in their paths the group stopped. Hermione looked around the little group, willing herself not to cry. “I’ll miss you.” She said quietly.

“We’ll miss you, too, Acacia!” Lily pulled her into a tight hug before backing away, smiling down at her. James and Sirius also gave her quick hugs and Peter gave her an awkward little wave. When she met Remus’ eyes, they were filled with longing and hope. She could only feel sadness and guilt that she would be leaving him and he would never hear from her again. None of them would. And James and Lily would die before she would ever get the opportunity to see them again.

Remus gave her an unsure kind of hug before backing away quickly and coughing awkwardly. Hermione smiled at them and said her goodbye’s one more time before turning and walking towards her rooms.

The halls were decorated for the holidays, but she felt far from cheerful. Great roped garland hung in arches down from the ceilings and little wreaths wrapped around the candle lights down the halls. Snow frosted windows lead her down the hall of snoring portraits. She took her time going back to her rooms, wandering the halls a little longer than she ought to have. Finally, she made it to her portrait, the cat curled up in the painting. She patted its little head and it gave her a sleep mew before letting her into her rooms.

Quietly, she started pulling her clothes off, getting ready to bathe for the final time in her rooms. She took her time in the tub, enjoying its bubbly heat before forcing herself out to bed. She crossed her room warily and got to her bed. She started pulling the covers down but something black in her bed stopped her.

She squinted at the box that was placed on her pillow, black with a black bow tied around it. She slowly ran her wand over it, checking it for curses. When she was sure that it was clear, she picked it up and slowly pulled the tie of the bow unraveling it. It fell to her bed as she took the lid off the box.

She sucked in a breath at what she saw inside. Her fingers gently ran over the silver metal of the fountain pen she had been admiring in the shop window of Hogsmeade only a few days ago. The pen was cold on her heated fingertips and she could feel the engraving of the filigree etched into its surface. Under the pen, nestled into the velvet pillow it sat on, was a small note in spikey handwriting that she knew all too well.

_Write to me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! If you are so inclined, leave a comment below! I love interacting with you all as it keeps me motivated to continue on with the story. Thanks to everyone for their lovely comments and kudos thus far!


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is doing well! I read the comments on the last chapter and I was loving all of the discussion! I feel a bit devious keeping you all in the dark, but I promise things will make sense eventually. We are on to the next turn of time. Happy reading!

## Chapter 26

Hermione felt the pull of apparition squeeze her through time. She gasped for air as she was pushed through a vortex, spinning uncontrollably. It felt like forever, she started to panic that it would never stop. Further and further she was flung through time until she was suddenly spit out and her feet crashed painfully onto hard ground.

Her knees gave out painfully and she caught herself, the force of her landing pushing her to her hands and knees. Her stomach rolled and she fought back the nausea that was threatening to expel from her.

Hermione swallowed down the sickening saliva that was pouring into her mouth and blinked, trying to focus her vision. Her head swam, but she was finally able to see where she landed. She pressed her fingers tentatively into the loose dirt. It was soft under her fingers, but cold.

She pushed herself back onto her knees brushing her hands off on her pants. The dirt leaving streaks of darkness on her jeans. She grimaced at the stains. She reached for her wand, but stopped herself. She didn’t know where she was – or when she was – and didn’t want to give herself away if she was somewhere populated by muggles.

She looked up from the stains on her clothes and shock clenched in her throat. In front of her sat a stone grave marker. A strangled yelp slipped from her lips as realization of what she had landed on dawned on her. The dirt she had landed in was a mound covering someone’s eternal resting place.

Her heart was pounding in her ears and she forced herself to take a steadying breath. In the dying light of the day she was barely able to make out the writing on the gravestone. Steeling herself, she cautiously crawled towards the grave and kneeled beside it. She tentatively reached her hand out to run her fingers over the inscription.

_Kendra Dumbledore_

_1850-1899_

_Beloved wife to Percival Dumbledore and mother to Albus, Aberforth, and Ariana._

“Dumbledore’s mother-“ She said on a quiet breath.

There was a stirring behind her and Hermione tore her eyes away from the inscription to see a wide eyed girl staring at her. Her piercing blue eyes staring in shocked confusion. “Who are you and what business do you have to be kneeling beside my mother’s grave?”

_My mother’s grave?_ Hermione’s mind was running in circles of shock. Her mouth opened, trying to form a coherent sentence but her voice dying in her throat. “You’re- you’re Ariana?”

The young girl’s chin lifted in defiance. “And just who is asking?” She said haughtily.

Hermione pulled herself to her feet, awkwardly taking a step away from the grave. She stood only a few inches taller than the young girl whose piercing gaze was staring into her soul. She was pretty, with delicate features and softly curled blonde hair. “I’m a friend of Albus’.”

Her eyes raked over Hermione, “I’ve never seen you with him before.” She said, clearly not convinced with her. As her eyes roamed over Hermione, she became very aware of how out of place she probably looked. Her muddy jeans and hoodie were a stark contrast to the prim, long sleeved dress Ariana was wearing. The high collar made of lace made her neck look slim and graceful.

“Its been a while.” Hermione said distractedly. “Can you take me to him? I was just on my way to see him.”

Ariana’s cold gaze seemed to be wavering on whether or not to take her to her brother. Hermione held her breath, not daring to breathe as Ariana considered her. After a few moments, she turned on her heel and started to walk away.

Hermione wasn’t sure what to do for a moment. Was she leaving or leading her? Not sure of Ariana’s intentions, Hermione decided to follow her. She caught up to her and walked beside her down the cobbled streets.

The streets were lined with small cottages that poured with warm light from their windows. The orange light contrasted sharply with the dark blue of the shadows cast from the dying light of day. She could see her own breath as they walked through the little village.

They finally arrived at a Tudor style cottage that had thick English ivy growing up its side. Two chimneys sat at either end of the home giving off a small plume of smoke from wood being burned inside. There was a large oak tree that cast the house in shadow and a small front lawn that was surrounded by a brick fence. Hermione could see the glimmer of wards surrounding the house. The magic was familiar to Hermione, but she wasn’t sure from where.

Ariana crossed the wards then turned, looking at Hermione expectantly. Hermione was obviously not keyed into these wards and she didn’t know the magic that would allow her to pass unharmed. She also didn’t think that trying to dismantle the magic would be taken well by the family.

She looked unsurely at the young girl just on the other side of the open gate. She only stared back at her, no expression crossing her face at all. Hermione dithered on the outside of the gate for a moment more before steeling herself and stepping firmly across the threshold of the home.

She let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding and visibly relaxed. Ariana smiled at her, “You made it!”

Hermione’s brow furrowed, “Was there any question that I wouldn’t?”

“Well, you only make it across the gate if your intentions are pure.” She said lightly.

She raised an eyebrow at the young girl, “And if they weren’t?”

The lightness that had been in her features before turned dark, and an almost twisted malice grew behind her smile, “You would have erupted into flames.”

Hermione reeled back. The girl smiled sweetly up at her before flouncing away toward the front door. She shook off the shock and quietly walked up to the door with her. The girl held the door open for her and she walked into the warm house.

The house was dark save for the light coming from a room down the hall. “He should be in the kitchen.” She said. “That’s where they usually are, anyway. Would you like some tea?”

Hermione nodded and followed the girl down the hall into the kitchen. It was lit by a roaring fire in a large hearth and candles that floated around the ceiling, reminding her of the great hall. As she entered she saw two boys not much older than herself sitting at a large, wooden kitchen table. One had rich red hair and piercing blue eyes, the other with brown hair and dark eyes. They were animatedly talking about something that immediately died when they saw Hermione walk in behind Ariana.

“Ariana.” The red-haired wizard said sharply. “Who is this?”

Ariana’s head cocked slightly and her brows furrowed, “She said she was your friend, Albus.”

Faster than Hermione could reach for her wand she was thrown back against the kitchen wall, one wand pointed at her face and another at her chest. The red-haired wizard’s – presumably Albus Dumbledore – black wand was trained on her face. It was long and straight up until it neared the handle. There, it twisted in strands until they came together again at the handle that was encased at either end in silver. The other boy’s was twisted and had thorns sticking out of it, something she had never seen before.

Hermione’s hands went up in surrender, “Please.” Their eyes followed as she slowly lowered one hand to the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a parchment sealed in crimson wax. She held out the paper to Albus who deftly took it from her. The other boy kept his wand focused on her chest with a look of cold indifference in his dark eyes.

She watched as Albus peeled the wax from the parchment to open it. He tapped the parchment with the tip of his wand and neat scroll bloomed slowly into the paper. His eyes flicked over the paper as he read before looking back up at her with an intense stare. She felt him slip into her mind like a whisper, but she was a strong enough occlumens to feel it. She quickly brought up the memory from only a short time ago.

_“Ah! Miss Granger! How was your time with Madame Pomfrey?” Dumbledore was seated in his wingback chair in front of the large windows that looked out onto the black lake. The early morning was giving him a halo of golden light. His dark purple robes with gold embroidery seemed to glow. His long beard and half moon spectacles a welcome sight after being used to the younger version of Professor Dumbledore from the 70’s._

_Hermione gave him a small smile, “It went well, sir. However, it was a bit disconcerting seeing people I know to be dead in this time.”_

_Dumbledore nodded gravely, “So young, they were, to have died in such a bloody war.” His features almost forlorn, “We must all make sacrifices for the greater good.”_

_Hermione watched him carefully. Most of the time, he was jovial. A grandfatherly figure, especially for Harry. But at times, like these, his carefully crafted image fell and he seemed…human. Like he had seen things that had changed him. “Where – er – when are you sending me, sir?”_

_Dumbledore’s far off gaze returned to her, “A time where you can be completely honest with who you are.”_

_Hermione’s look of shock made him chuckle. “Sir?”_

_He sobered and his penetrating eyes met her with all the seriousness of before, “I must warn you though, not everyone is as you remember them. You are free to be who you truly are, but play your cards closely or they may be turned against you.” Her mouth opened to question him again, but he silenced her with a raise of his hand. “When you arrive, you will meet two wizards. Give them this before they have a chance to do any lasting damage.”_

_He handed her a folded envelope with a wax seal of a crest she was unfamiliar with. She looked up at him questioningly, “Lasting damage?”_

_He gave her a tight smile, “Not to worry, no harm will come to you as long as you make haste.”_

_Hermione had a million questions, but she knew she wasn’t getting anything else out of the headmaster. She pulled out her timeturner and waiting for him to set the time. He tapped it with the tip of his wand and the little silver hourglass spun violently. Hermione’s eyes grew wide as it seemed to spin uncontrollably. She met Dumbledore’s sad gaze, “Good luck, Miss Granger.”_

He pulled out of her mind and Hermione was left panting from the exertion of projecting only the memory she wanted him to see into his mind. Albus’ eyes narrowed slightly before sliding to the other wizard’s. He held the parchment out to him between two fingers. The other wizard slowly lowered his wand and carefully looked away from Hermione to give Albus a questioning look before taking the note.

Dumbledore crossed his arms and seemed to size Hermione up as the other wizard read the note. When he was finished, Dumbledore and the wizard locked gazes seeming to speak to each other with only a look. The dark-haired wizard broke the gaze first and his eyes met hers with a raised eyebrow, “How curious.” He said with a slight drawl to his tone.

Hermione clenched her jaw and lifted her chin slightly. “Gellert-“ Albus cautioned.

_Gellert? Where have I heard that name before?_ “A time-traveling witch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please comment to let me know what you thought of it, I love hearing from you! Thank you for reading!


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. I know I lost some of you with this time jump, but for those of you who are sticking around, thank you! I know this is not a traditional progression of events for this kind of story, but I promise it is written for a reason.  
> This chapter has a lot of dialogue and I had to stop myself from writing a super long chapter. So, more to come soon.  
> Thank you for those who commented and I hope everyone is doing well. Happy reading!

## Chapter 27

Slow, heavy steps thumped down the hall nearing the kitchen. “Albus, what are you – who is this?” A teenage boy, slightly younger than her, stopped in the doorway when he saw her. He looked like Albus except his features were rounder, softer than the other boy’s. His nose was shorter and less pointy, but his eyes were just as bright. A trait of the family she guessed.

“Aberforth, this is Miss Granger. She will be staying with us for a while.”

_Aberforth…._ Hermione remembered reading his name on the gravestone of Albus’ mother. _Dumbledore’s brother._ He looked a bit puzzled, “Why?”

Gellert handed the slip of parchment back to Dumbledore and he absently folded it back up and slipped it into the pocket of his trousers. “It seems I have given myself a task of sorts.” At his brother’s questioning gaze, he continued, “She has traveled through time to learn something from me. Unfortunately, neither of us know what we are supposed to be doing in this mission.”

Aberforth snorted lightly and chuckled as he walked over to Ariana. “How very… _you_ of you, Albus.” She beamed up at him as he started helping her get the tea ready. He nudged her with his elbow with a small smile on his face and she nudged him back with her shoulder.

Albus pursed his lips before locking eyes with Gellert. They seemed to be having a conversation with just a shared look.

“Tea’s ready!” Ariana said brightly as she and Aberforth carried a tray and tea cups over to the small kitchen table.

Hermione sat between Gellert and Aberforth at the table and quietly stirred the cream into her tea. Ariana and Aberforth were laughing about something, but Hermione was rummaging in the back of her brain trying to figure out where she knew Gellert from.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, pulling Hermione from her reverie. “Miss Granger, what time do you come from?”

Hermione smiled, trying to sound pleasant, “1995, sir. And please call me Hermione.”

She saw Gellert’s dark eyebrows raise and he leaned back in shock. Dumbledore’s eyes narrowed slightly before he schooled his features again, “Do you know what year it is?”

Hermione shifted uncomfortably, pulling her hoodie away from her neck as she looked down at her tea. “Well, um, I sort of landed on a fresh grave when I got here. So I’m assuming its 1899, correct?”

Ariana’s eyes sobered as they met Albus’, “Mother’s grave.”

An uncomfortable silence swept over the table. Hermione swallowed thickly, “I’m sorry for your loss. My best friend lost both of his parents when he was just a baby and I know he misses them terribly.”

“He longs for them.” Hermione’s eyes snapped to Gellert’s. “He never truly knew them so he can’t miss them. He longs for the imagined fantasy he has for them. Its different.”

Hermione sucked in a breath, her eyes hardening. “Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

“Why did my brother send you back?” Ariana said with a hint of edge to her voice.

Hermione fiddled with the handle of her teacup. “Well, this isn’t the first time jump I’ve made.” She felt the intensity of Dumbledore’s stare on her, but she continued to talk to Ariana. “Originally, he gave me the timeturner so that I would be able to take extra classes my third year of school. I wanted to learn as much as I could and there, literally, wasn’t enough time in the day to do it. So, I would go to all of my classes, then turn back and take a different set of classes at the same time.” Hermione paused, her brows drawing together, “There is a war starting in my time. He sends me back to different times to learn something integral to the war effort.”

“What sort of war?” Gellert interrupted.

“There is a wizard, Lord Voldemort, who wants to eradicate the muggle-borns and make muggles wizard’s slaves. He was the one who killed my best friend’s parents.”

Gellert’s hands clenched on the table and Dumbledore’s eyes locked with the wizard’s in an intense battle. Slowly, Gellert’s hands relaxed and he let out the breath he had been holding. His dark eyes slid to hers and she saw the muscle jump in his jaw, Hermione began to feel more and more uncomfortable the longer she was with Gellert. She could feel dark magic radiating off of him in waves now as he tried to school his features into placidity.

A bark of laughter came from beside her that made her jump. Gellert’s face was murderous as he glared at Aberforth, “Guess things don’t go according to plan after all, eh?”

Gellert’s chair scraped the stone floor as he stood up abruptly, Aberforth jumping up as well. Albus slowly rose and put a hand on Gellert’s forearm. Ariana looked worriedly between the men. “Abe, please?” Aberforth looked down at the young girl then glared at Gellert before sitting down. Gellert slowly lowered himself as well and Albus followed.

“Let’s listen to what the girl has to say. Go on, Hermione.” Albus said softly.

Her leg bounced nervously but she continued, “In my fifth year, he sent me on my mission. My first turn was to finish my schooling in the span of a semester. My second turn sent me back to the 70’s which was the beginning of the first wizarding war.”

“And what, pray tell, was that one fought for?” Gellert said in a strained voice.

Hermione nervously looked at him, not wanting him to get any angrier. The magic was pulsing off of him, filling the room with an electric current. “The same as the second. Lord Voldemort rose to power and then was vanquished. He is rising to power again in my time.”

Ariana looked anxiously at Gellert. “And what did you learn in that turn?”

“Officially, I was learning healing from the head mediwitch at Hogwarts.”

Albus’ eyes twinkled in a way that was so familiar but so foreign on such a young faced wizard, “And unofficially?”

Hermione bit her lip, “I think you also sent me back to help someone.”

“And did you?”

Hermione sighed, “I’m not really sure.”

“Who did you need to help?” Ariana asked quizzically.

Hermione hesitated, not sure how much she should say. “There was a boy who was going to Voldemort’s side, but I think he wanted me to change his mind. I’m not sure if I succeeded or not. He is rather…difficult. Acerbic would be putting it lightly.”

“And why would it be important that this boy change sides?” Albus questioned.

“He ends up being important to the Or-the cause. He becomes a sort of… spy for both sides. Many people question his loyalty that are close to you. But you protect him.”

Albus steepled his fingers in thought. “And what do you believe?” Ariana asked, her sharp eyes trying to read Hermione.

Hermione frowned, “He is a great professor, however horrible to his students. I saw his hesitation once he joined Voldemort’s side, but that doesn’t prove much. He is quiet and keeps to himself for the most part and is impossible to read.” Hermione looked at Dumbledore, “You trust him, though. So that is enough to tell me that I should trust him as well.”

Everyone turned to look at Albus whose eyes narrowed for only a second, but she caught the look. He looked so young here, she couldn’t imagine him turning into the powerful wizard of her time. No lines crossed his face. His signature half moon spectacles nowhere to be seen. His long beard and flowing, brightly colored robes gone. It was like seeing him stripped of everything that made him Dumbledore. Was he the same Dumbledore?

“I think I’ve heard enough for one night. Albus?” Gellert stood, waiting for the other boy to follow.

Albus nodded slowly before rising to leave the kitchen table. “Ariana, would you show Miss Granger to the spare bedroom?”

Ariana’s face lit up and she stood quickly, “I’d be delighted, Albus.” Her bright eyes turned on Hermione expectantly and she stood up with Aberforth.

“I have some studying to do.” Aberforth awkwardly said before leaving down the darkened hall.

Ariana promptly turned and walked down the hall, apparently expecting Hermione to follow. Hermione trailed behind Ariana as they walked through the small house. She pointed out rooms on her way. Bathrooms, dining room, a sitting room lined with books. They carried themselves up a flight of stairs and she continued explaining whose room was whose. The one on the left was Aberforth’s, The one on the left was hers. The one at the end of the hall was Albus’ who had taken over their parent’s room after their mother had passed away. The wooden floors creaked and groaned as they walked down the hall. “No one is allowed in Albus’ room except Gellert.”

Hermione stared at the seeming innocuous door, but could feel the wards protecting it. “Does Gellert sleep here as well?”

“Most nights, yes.” She nodded.

“And where does he sleep?”

Ariana shrugged. “Sometimes in Albus’ room, sometimes in the attic. That’s another one you don’t want to go near. That’s where they are most days, sometimes we don’t see them at all.”

Hermione looked at the door leading up to the attic. Another heavy set of wards placed on the door. She could only imagine what sort of foul fate someone would have if they stepped past the wards seeing as the house was guarded by wards that would burn you alive if you had bad intentions.

Ariana stopped at a door that was across the hall from Dumbledore’s and smiled brightly at her. “This is yours! It used to be Albus’, but he moved over there not long ago.” She gestured to the other door.

Ariana opened the door and was greeted by a plain room. It looked like no one had ever lived in it. Wood panels that were intricately carved ran around the room half way up the wall. The other half was painted in a light beige color. The bed sat in the middle of the wall on the right side of the room and a small nightstand sat beside it. There was nothing signifying Albus had ever occupied the room.

“This was his room? It looks like no one has ever been here.”

Ariana frowned, “He moved all of his things into mum and dad’s room and left this one bare. You’re welcome to add your things to it since you’ll be staying for a while.” Ariana paused, looking her over. “Do you have things?”

Hermione tittered, “Yes I have a few things with me.”

Ariana looked distrustfully at her, “Do you keep them in…that?”

Hermione frowned following Ariana’s gaze to her stomach. She smiled and pulled down on her hoodie, realizing she was referring to the large pocket across her stomach. “No, this is a just a hoodie. I don’t keep anything in the pocket usually.”

“You certainly have an…eclectic taste in your time.” Ariana said stiffly.

Hermione laughed, “Yes, I suppose I stick out a bit here.”

Ariana smiled, “We can fix that tomorrow.”

Hermione grimaced thinking about wearing a dress. She really wasn’t a dress kind of girl unless it was a special occasion. Ariana bid her good night and Hermione was left alone in the stark bedroom.

She quickly changed into her pajamas and sat heavily on the bed. She pulled the little beaded pouch from the pocket of her hoodie and rummaged around until she found the picture of her, Harry, and Ron. She looked at the boys, Harry in full quidditch gear and her and Ron’s cheeks rosy from the cold of the fall air licking at them from the quidditch stands. It was quickly beginning to feel like half a world away since she last saw them. Her studies only took her mind off her friends and family for a while during the day. The night, however, left her feeling a gut-wrenching sort of loneliness.

She gently touched their smiling faces in the picture, feeling the burn of tears at the back of her eyes. She placed the picture of her, Harry, and Ron down on the bed and pulled out the picture of her and her parents. The lilacs blooming beautifully behind them as they sat on the porch swing. She could almost smell the flowers that edged the house reminding her of home. Her parents had no idea that she was on a mission right now and that the girl they were seeing right now was an older version of her.

She sighed, her eyes lingering on the photos before she forced herself to put them away. As her hand gently returned the photos, it brushed something heavy and metal. She pulled the small, cold object from her bag and her chest felt heavy when she realized what it was.

The fountain pen that Severus had given her. She gently stroked its barrel, the engraving textured under her fingers. She bit her lip, remembering the note that had accompanied the gift. She flicked her wand at a candle stick on her bedside table and watched as it shifted and morphed into a black leather-bound journal. She opened the soft cover and flipped to the first page. The pen was a heavy weight in her hand, proof of its expense. The black ink bled out of the pen smoothly and glided onto the paper.

_May 1899_

_I miss you, Severus._

_-H_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed! Please comment if you did, or even if you didn't lol. Thank you for reading, either way. I look forward to hearing from you!


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is doing well! A comment on the last chapter gave me an idea of a bit of a change to the plan of the story, so when you get to that part, you only have yourselves to blame lol.   
> On an off topic note, I was writing this chapter the night before last and I dropped my laptop on my foot and I now have four broken bones in my foot. I have an alienware laptop, so its a hefty baby. When I say I put my blood, sweat, and tears into this fic you know I'm not messing around XD  
> Anyways, happy reading!

## Chapter 28

Something was glittering above her. Her eyes were glazed over from pain. Her head was throbbing, and she couldn’t see anything except blobs of light and dark. She shuddered from the pain and fought the nausea that was threating her stomach. She set her jaw in tight, unyielding manner. She struggled to clear her eyes. She was vaguely aware of something wet trickling down and reached out with her tongue to swipe her lips over it. The tangy metallic taste of blood hit her tongue. Her blood.

As her eyes cleared she could make out a that the glittering orbs above her were drops of crystal hanging from a huge chandelier. The lights danced off of them beautifully, creating a halo on the ceiling. The ceiling itself was a work of art. The plasterwork was ornate and created an elegant, royal feeling.

Somewhere very far away from her, she could hear a voice. Deep and dark. She remembered that voice from somewhere…

There was a sharp rapping and Hermione’s eyes flew open. “Breakfast is nearly done! Can I come in?” A tinkling voice sang from the other side of the door.

Hermione grunted and ran a hand over her face. Judging by the lack of light coming in through her windows, it was much too early to be up. “Just give me a minute!” Hermione tried to sound chipper and awake, but the raspy sound of her voice gave it away.

She quickly transfigured a blanket that was draped over her bed into a robe and cinched it at her waist. She flung the door open and her eyes met an already dressed and primped Ariana. The young girl’s smile faltered when her eyes roamed Hermione’s messy bed hair and night robe. “You’re not up?”

“Uhm,” Hermione awkwardly crossed her arms over herself, “I didn’t sleep very well last night, I thought I would have a bit of a lie in.”

“Oh!” Ariana took a step back sheepishly. “I will leave you to it, then. I’m sorry to bother you.”

She started to turn, “No, please! Its alright.” Hermione gave the girl a timid smile, “You were going to help me find something to wear, right?”

Ariana’s eyes lit up, “I would love to!” Hermione held the door open for the girl and shut it behind her. She flung open the chest that sat at the end of the bed and huffed when she saw that it sat empty. “I thought you said you had things?”

Hermione stifled a yawn, “I do, they’re here.” She flicked her wand at the beaded bag beside the bed and a small pile of clothes emerged from it, levitating in the air before she set them in a neat pile on the quilt.

Ariana made a little squeak of excitement and reached out to start going through her things, stopping herself short. “Do you mind?” Her pretty eyes looked innocently up at her.

Hermione smiled and laughed to herself, “Go right ahead.”

Ariana started examining her clothing, softly rubbing her hands over the different fabrics. She held the stitching of one of her pairs of jeans close to her face and tutted disapprovingly. “The craftsmanship is atrocious on some of these! Although, I must say whoever made them was extremely good at making everything perfectly straight and spaced apart.”

Hermione shrugged and sat on the bed next to the pile of clothes, “I bought them that way.”

Ariana turned to her, an odd expression on her face, “You didn’t make your clothes?”

Hermione looked away uncomfortably, “Well, no, actually. In my time, rarely anyone makes their own clothing. Its considered an art if you do.”

Ariana cocked her head and frowned at her before returning to her hunt. Her hands roamed over something that she was obviously excited about. Hermione leaned over to look at what she had found and laughed when she saw her holding up a Weasley sweater. “This! This is handmade! I can tell.”

Hermione nodded, “Yeah, my best friend’s mom made that for me last Christmas. She makes them for everyone in their family.”

Ariana’s eyes glistened and she hastily looked down at the sweater and smiled, “That is so lovely that his mother makes things for everyone like that.”

Hermione remembered meeting Ariana on the freshly dug grave of her mother. “Moms are thoughtful like that. Did your mom ever do anything special for you?”

Ariana looked up at her smiling, “She used to sing. I could hear it from all over the house. It was lovely, even though she didn’t think so.” She got quiet for a moment, “The house doesn’t feel the same without her music.”

Hermione wanted to hug the girl, but feared crossing a line with an acquaintance she had just met. “Someone said to me once that happiness can be found in even the darkest of times, you just have to find the light.”

Ariana gave her a small smile, “That is a wise person.”

Hermione tried to hide the smirk, “A very wise person, indeed.” She sighed and looked at the ornate stitching on Ariana’s dress. The silvery filigree swirled up her arms and across the chest and edge of her skirt. The dark blue and silver made her eyes look like a stormy blue, or maybe that was the emotion in her eyes. Either way, it was beautiful. “Your dress is lovely. Did your mom make it for you?”

Ariana laughed and shook her head, the blonde waves falling over her shoulders, “Oh, no. No, my mother was a horrible seamstress. She tried though. I sew all our clothes. I have for ages. Aberforth tells me that he doesn’t like all the decoration, but Albus always seems to like what I make for him. He likes his robes bright and lets me do whatever embroidery I feel like on them. He says its important for me to express myself in whatever way I can.” A distant look crossed her face for a moment that she would have missed had she not looked quick enough. She seemed to shake herself, “We are here to make you something to wear, though. What kinds of dresses do you like?”

Hermione winced, “I’m not really a _dress_ kind of girl.” She started, trying not to hurt the girl’s feelings.

“Oh, please!” Ariana scoffed at her, “You’ve never worn a dress to anything fancy? You’re always in trousers for everything?”

“Well, we had a ball not long ago from my original time that I wore a dress to.”

“Really? A ball? That sounds so romantic.” Ariana said dreamily.

A small smile crossed her lips, “It was. I went with a boy who was very gentlemanly. He was so kind and thoughtful.” Her smile faded, “My next time in a dress won’t be quite as nice, though.”

“Why is that?”

Hermione shook her head and smiled uneasily at the girl, “Nothing. Its not important.”

Ariana cut her off, “Of course it is! Any time you wear a dress it should make you happy! Unless, of course, you’re in this time and you’re only supposed to wear them.” A tinge of bitterness permeated her tone.

Hermione sucked in a breath and stared at the pile of clothes on the bed without really seeing them, lost in thought. “When I get back to my time, I am supposed to marry someone who I would have never seen myself with in a million years. He is truly an awful person. But the last time I was sent back to was when he was my age and we… well I don’t know what we were. I started to care for him, but he pushed me away right before I came to this time. So, sometime between him as a teenager and him as an adult, he becomes awful. And I don’t know whether to dread my fate or be hopeful.” The words fell from her mouth in a rush of a breath.

“There are arranged marriages in your time?”

Hermione frowned, “Not usually, it’s a new law I guess.”

Ariana’s face twisted into disgust. “I’m glad I don’t have to worry about that.” Then she looked at Hermione worriedly, “Not that you should either! I’m sure it will work out and he will be a good husband.”

Hermione gave her a grateful look but kept her disbelief to herself. She flicked her wand and her clothes neatly put themselves away in the trunk at the end of the bed. “Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about that for some time.”

Ariana’s lips pressed together and pulled to the side in thought. She pulled out one of her nicer sets of robes and gave it to Ariana who stroked the fabric tenderly when it was handed over to her. “I wear my robes much more often than a dress. If you could work your magic on these, I would love it.” She smiled at the girl.

Her face lightened in an almost mischievous look, “I have the perfect idea! You’ll love it when I’m done!”

“I have no doubt _._ ” Hermione smiled at her. “What was this I heard about breakfast?”

\- - -

Gellert crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes staring daggers at Hermione as she stood in the attic trying to look as innocuous as possible. “I still don’t see why we have to include her.”

Albus smiled at him, his eyes twinkling. “Don’t you trust me?”

Gellert’s eyes slid to Albus, “You, I trust with my life. However, I think you may have slipped in your old age.” He slowly walked towards the slightly shorter man, “How are we supposed to teach her when we don’t know what we’re supposed to be teaching?”

Albus turned to Hermione, “Tell me what you were sent on your previous missions for, again?”

Hermione sighed. She had already told them many times over and it seemed like they were in a closed loop of suspicion and doubt in her. “You sent me on a mission to learn. The first time was to finish my schooling and the second was to learn healing. You said it my knowledge would be the difference between life and death for many people.” Hermione paused, “In my other time hops, you sent me to experts in their fields to learn from. I know you’re an expert in many fields, but what have you been focusing on at this time?”

Albus and Gellert looked at each other. Something passed between them that only they knew before Albus spoke, “We have been studying something, searching really, but it is dark magic, Miss Granger. Have you ever studied the dark arts?”

Hermione slowly nodded, “I have read about some things.”

“But you’ve never actually done it?” Hermione shook her head and Gellert turned his back on her in a huff. “We can’t teach her anything if she’s never even tried at least a spell.”

“Gellert,” Albus’ voice was low with warning, “We all started somewhere.”

The other man took a deep breath, “How are you with defensive magic, Granger?”

Hermione looked a little sheepish, “It isn’t my best area.” She confessed.

Gellert looked like he was about to say something cutting but Albus interjected before he could say anything, “We start there then. You need to learn how to protect yourself before you learn how to deal damage.”

Hermione nodded, “That makes sense.”

“Good!” Albus said jovially. “Ingeniculo.” He flicked his wand at her and she fell to her hands and knees, unable to move from the position. She looked up at him confused.

“First lesson, Granger," Gellert and Albus exchanged a smirk. "Always be on the ready.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! This time hop marks where the story gets dark, including Dumbledore, so you got a bit of a taste of it but expect more in the future. I can't wait to read your comments and thank you all for reading!


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! It feels like it has been forever since I updated but midterms killed me. In personal news, last time I updated I told you guys that I broke my foot and I have since painted the boot I have to wear (Hogwarts on one side and Cinderella's castle on the other) so I attached a picture since you are my kind of people and I thought you may like it :)   
> Anyways, this is an important one, so I hope you enjoy! Happy reading!

## Chapter 29

Hermione chewed on her lip, a habit she had ingrained into herself recently, causing her lip to be split often on the right side. It wasn’t like her to be called into her head of house’s office. Her mind was racing with a million thoughts of what reason she had to be summoned but was coming up rather short. For the most part, she had walked the straight line this year.

She jumped when the door opened and Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape walked in. Being surrounded by three of the people she looked up to the most made her stomach flip around in her abdomen. She tried to shrink herself down unconsciously and stared at the hem of her skirt.

“Miss Granger,” Professor McGonagall’s Scottish brogue broke over Hermione’s anxious thoughts bringing her to reality. Her eyes shot up and looked at her head of house nervously. “You’ve been called here to discuss the next challenge.”

“The next challenge, Professor?”

“Yes, I am sure you have deduced, the challenge involves the champions searching for something of value to them in the black lake.” Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye knowing full well that she had figured out the riddle days ago. “You are here to help us with the valuable item they will be looking for.”

Hermione bit her lip again, “You need me to give you something valuable to Harry?”

McGonagall and Dumbledore exchanged a look before McGonagall cleared her throat looking uncomfortable. “Mr. Potter’s item has already been chosen.” She paused, “Mr. Krum’s is who we are collecting now.”

Hermoine’s nose scrunched, “You want me to help you find something of value to Viktor? I really don’t know him that well, there isn’t anyone else who could help you-“

“The item of value is the person they are closest to and… hold the most value in.” Snape cut in smoothly, putting emphasis on the last part of his sentence.

Hermione’s face pinched in confusion then slowly relaxed into realization. Her eyes hardened and a flash of emotion sparked behind them for only a moment. If you hadn’t been watching closely, you would have missed it. “Ron.”

“Mr. Weasley has agreed to be the item of value for Mr. Potter.” Dumbledore acquiesced.

“And you want me to be Viktor’s…item?” Hermione’s face contorted.

“If you agree, you will be put under a magical enchantment of sleep. Once you break the water, you will come to immediately.” McGonagall explained.

Hermione hedged, “And if he doesn’t find me in time?”

“The merpeople will bring you to the surface. You will not be harmed in any way during this challenge, I assure you. It will be like falling asleep.” Albus said gently.

Hermione’s thoughts whirled as she considered if she really wanted to do this. It seemed a bit extreme, but just a short time ago Harry was flying around the castle with an angry dragon on his tail. She met Dumbledore’s bright eyes with conviction, “I will do it.”

Both Dumbledore and McGonagall looked happy, if not relieved. Snape uncrossed his arms and moved to stand in front of her. His long fingers snaked around the hilt of his ebony wand that was pointed at her chest. Hermione’s heart thundered and her fingers gripped the arms of the chair tightly. “Autem paralytra” Snape’s deep voice coiled around her senses and her world turned dark until she didn’t see anything.

She was floating. Her head was swimming, her body weightless. She didn’t feel anything, she was just…there. Not really conscious of anything happening around her except for the feeling of weightlessness.

Suddenly she was yanked from this trance and the burst of air hit her lungs making her splutter and cough.

She opened her eyes and met the hard wood floor of the attic in Dumbledore’s ancestral home. Ripped from her reverie by the pain, she clenched her jaw and sucked in a breath through her nose. Steeling herself, she pushed herself onto her hands and knees before glaring at Albus whose eyes were dancing with mirth and…pride?

She sighed, glaring at the two wizards. “We have been _practicing,_ ” she snidely said, “for weeks now. How am I supposed to learn anything if I’m not allowed to protect myself from your spells?”

Gellert’s eyes flashed, “I never said you couldn’t protect yourself. I said you’re not allowed a wand.”

Hermione’s mouth opened like she was going to make a cutting come back but Albus cut her off, “You are close. Don’t lose your determination in the face of adversity.”

Hermione jaw tensed and her lips drew into a thin line. “And _what,_ may I ask, am I getting close to?”

“The reason you were sent here.” Albus said lightly.

Hermione wanted to scream in frustration. To demand her wand back just to hex the two men in front of her. For weeks they had been subjecting her to all sorts of dark curses and hexes before removing them after she was sure she was doomed to a painful death. Her anger licked at the back of her eyes, threatening to spill out in tears.

“Confractus” Gellert flicked his wand at her.

Fear constricted her throat. Time seemed to slow as the spell enveloped her, beginning to crush in on her with an unimaginable weight. The anger and the fear built up until she couldn’t see anymore. A throat searing scream tore through her body and something buried deep within her exploded. Magic struck out from her in sonic waves. The two wizards were knocked backwards into the opposing wall, their bodies plastered to it by the power emanating from the witch.

Her knees hit the floor with a painful crack and she fell onto her hands and knees. Her hair hung around her face, hiding it from the outside world as she caught her breath. She took a steadying breath before raising her eyes to the two men across from her. White hot anger flickered behind her eyes and she raised her hand, her wand flying out of Gellert’s robe pocket. She snatched it from the air with a whip-like motion.

The two men exchanged a look and Albus’ lip quirked a moment. They stood up and righted themselves. She heard steps coming towards her and an edwardian boot came into her view. She felt a warm hand on her back. “ _That,_ Miss Granger, is what you are here for.” Hermione looked up at Albus, a piercing look that would have sent lesser men running.

A strong looking hand with long fingers extended towards her. She met Gellert’s eyes with the same incensed look before begrudgingly grasping his hand and let him pull her up to stand with them. This was the first time she had ever stood with the two men after they hexed her. Equals.

“What happened to me?” Hermione said quietly after they took their seats in the kitchen and tea had been served by a house elf named Nara. She bit her tongue about the house elf, too exhausted to argue with the men about a custom that was strongly enforced in this time.

“You’ve never seen your magic before.” Gellert stated rather than questioned like he knew without her telling him.

Hermione’s brow furrowed, “Seen my magic? What do you mean?”

“The only way a wizard can truly master his magic is by finding it within themselves. It usually takes a lifetime to do as one needs to become completely in tune with themselves. We merely just…sped up the process a bit.” Dumbledore smoothed over the matter like it was every day talk.

“You have been t-torturing me for weeks so that I would become _in tune_ with myself?” Hermione asked incredulously, her voice barely above a whisper.

“You came here to learn, did you not?” Gellert said forcefully.

“I came here to learn, not to be subjected to your medieval methods.” Hermione said, equally as vehemently, her hands flat on the table bracing herself.

“You don’t have a lifetime to learn. You have, what, a year? Maybe less? Do you have any other ways of extracting your magic?” Gellert shot back.

Hermione set her jaw, too stubborn to submit to his words. Angrily, she pushed herself back into the chair. After a moment of contemptuous silence, she finally met their eyes. “What are you trying to do? Why is this an important time to be sent to?”

Albus and Gellert looked at each other intently. Again, she got the feeling that they were passing more than just looks to each other. “We are learning how to control our magic to become more powerful wizards.” Gellert said carefully.

Hermione gave a mirthless laugh. “No. There is a reason I was sent here to this exact time. If I wanted to learn how to control my magic, I could have learned that from you in my time.”

Again, the wizards met each other’s eyes from across the table. Albus broke away first, “Have you ever read The Tales of Beedle the Bard?”

Hermione slowly nodded. “Yes but what does a children’s story have to do with this?”

Albus’ piercing eyes met hers, “You know of the three brothers then?” Hermione nodded slowly, still looking confused. A feeling she was not accustom to. “One brother wanted to bring back loved ones from beyond the veil, one wanted to live in peace not worrying about death, and one wanted to be the most powerful wizard. Each one was given an object to achieve their goal.” Albus grew quiet, not sure how to continue. The indecision clear on his young face.

“We have found one.” Gellert said and her eyes snapped to his dark ones.

Her eyes squinted in disbelief for a moment, “How can you find something that doesn’t exist? They are only fairy tales. Fables to teach children right from wrong.”

“And we are only a muggle myth used to entertain children’s fantasies like unicorns and giants.” Gellert said rolling his eyes. “Not everything is as it seems, Granger. You should know better than any of us about that, seeing as you grew up a muggle and were told you were a witch out of the blue one summer.”

Hermione seemed to be mulling over the information before stopping abruptly, “Wait, how did you know that?”

Gellert leaned towards her with a sly grin, his eyes flashing for the briefest of seconds a brilliant light blue. If she had blinked, she would have missed it entirely. She wasn’t even completely sure she had seen it, in fact. “I see all sorts of things that others miss.”

An unsettling feeling came over her and she looked away from him. Something about the two men in front of her was not feeling right. A feeling she had never felt around Albus in her time. She began to question if she was really with the right Albus or if he had been polyjuiced. “Okay,” She said carefully, “Even if we say that the hallows are real, how did you find one? And which one did you find?”

“The best place to look for a wand is usually from someone who knows a great deal about wands, don’t you think?” Gellert said with a smirk, sitting back in his seat.

Hermione was wracking her brain trying to remember who wand makers were in this time but coming up short. She thought back to the night she arrived in Godric’s Hallow. Both wizards had pointed their wands at her but now that she thought about it, Ablus’ wand was different than the one he had in her time. “So you know where it is, but you haven’t gotten to it yet?”

Gellert’s cool façade shifted to annoyance, “How would you know-?”

“I see all sorts of things that others miss.” She said airily, her eyes flickered in warning.

Hermione and Gellert were cut off by Ariana’s skipping stride flying down the stairs and she breezed into the kitchen. “I’m going out for a walk.” She called out before heading for the hall.

“No, you’re not.” Albus said tersely.

The girl stopped in her tracks, “And why not?”

Albus’ eyes fluttered shut in annoyance, “You know it is not safe for you outside.”

Ariana’s lips turned into a pout and she whined, “You never let me do anything!”

“Ariana,” Albus warned.

“Its not fair, Albus! What life do I have being cooped up in this house every day? I want to be able to leave as I please. I am fourteen now and I see others my age outside my window walking together and…just being together in the world. Why can’t I have that?”

Albus rounded on her from his chair, “You know why you’re not allowed. Would you want all that father has done for you to be for naught?”

Ariana took a step back like she had been struck. Her bright blue eyes glistened for a moment before a look of pure indignation came over her. Her eyes turned an inky black and her entire body started to tremble. Hermione’s stomach sank as she felt the whips of magic slashing out of the girl. Albus and Gellert stood abruptly, wands pulled.

A hand appeared on her shoulder from behind and Aberforth appeared in the doorway. At his touch, she immediately relaxed, her eyes returning to their normal blue. “I can go with you, if you’ll give me the pleasure?”

Ariana giggled and turned to him, taking the arm he offered to her, “Why, thank you, kind sir.”

Aberforth gave her a small bow and lead her off down the hall.

Hermione watched as Albus and Gellert seemed to relax slightly, worried looks on both of their faces as they exchanged a look. They sank back into their seats and Albus looked at her with a hesitant smile like he was trying to reassure her, but she could see through it. Both of them looked shaken by the girl’s reaction.

Hermione’s unease grew. Something was being hidden here that they didn’t want her to know and she had a feeling that the Albus from her time wanted her to find out what.

## 

Here's my fashion statement for the next 12 weeks lol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for all of the comments and kudos on the story! They really keep me going. You guys are amazing and I can't wait to hear what you think of this one. Hope you're doing well and thank you again!


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you are all enjoying your last couple days of break if you're here in the US. Thank you for all of the lovely comments on the last chapter (and my boot)! Happy reading!

## Chapter 30

Hermione stared down at the glistening ink on the page of her journal. She had gotten as far as putting the date at the top and then lost her way. Almost daily she had been writing about her happenings to Severus who had become an imaginary pen pal by this point. Only 61 more years until he is even born. 78 more until she would meet him as a teenager and she as Acacia in his 7th year. And 92 years until she meets him for the first time as her dreaded potions professor. This time traveling was giving her a headache the longer she thought about it.

_Severus,_

_I haven’t figured out if I am writing to the memory I have of you as a seventh year or as my professor. When I think of you as my professor, everything feels so wrong. I can only imagine how you must be feeling at the news. Being forced to marry a student you have taught since her first year._

She paused, worrying her lip between her teeth.

_I should have never pursued anything with you while we were together in your seventh year. I thought that maybe if we worked in that time then being together in the present would be easier, but I think I’ve made it harder._

_Only I will remember what we had for that short time and you will only ever see me as your insufferable student. The thought of seeing you every day and pretending that I never healed you, or touched you, or kissed you, is awful. However, I have a feeling you will make that considerably easier on me since you will be Professor Snape and no longer the Severus that I remember as a young man._

_You really can be truly terrifying at times, you know that? Not to mention mean. I don’t think I’ll ever really understand you, Severus, but I know that I will try to make our marriage as bearable for you as possible. I owe you that much._

_For now, though, I will continue to write to you as the seventh year I left. Because thinking of you as you are in the present is too painful for me._

She continued to write on about her trainings with Albus and Gellert. Albus continuously telling her that she was getting closer to whatever goal he had for her. Gellert seeming to take pleasure from when she failed…which was hopelessly often. Defense Against the Dark Arts was never her strongest subject and she remembered dueling against Remus. He had been patient and careful. Albus and Gellert were considerably less so, to the point of being malicious. She wanted to comfort herself with the thought that Professor Dumbledore would never hurt her, but he wasn’t Professor Dumbledore in this time. He was Albus. And people change substantially as they get older.

Yesterday, she and Ariana had went for a walk through the narrow streets of the quaint neighborhood. Unfortunately, near the end of their walk Ariana had come across an injured bird and begged her to heal it. However, she did not harbor the same feelings towards the boys of her age Hermione quickly found out. She sneered at a group of boys who walked past them and commented on how they were all the same. Horrible and cruel. She was sure that the loss of first her father and now her mother had taken a toll on the girl. She could be happy and giggling at one time and then turn dark in an instant.

She hesitated to mention the…odd change Ariana had gone through two weeks ago. Hermione was still unsure of what had happened but knew that Albus looked shaken and if he looked shaken, it couldn’t have been good. She had tried to discreetly research what had happened, but all of the books in the sitting room were muggle, she assumed to hide their true identities when guests came over. She was itching to get to the books hidden in the attic that she saw while they trained, but was always so busy dodging hexes that she didn’t have any time to stop and grab one.

There was a firm knock at her door and she hurriedly shoved the book and her pen into the beaded bag on her nightstand before opening the door.

The lanky, dark wizard stared down at her with a playful smile on his lips. “Up for some training?”

\- - -

Hermione ducked, narrowly missing a red hex that was sent towards her chest. Albus twirled his wand and black vines covered in thorns snaked from the tip, slithering around her body. The thorns sank into her skin creating blooms of red blood to color her clothes. She knew he was purposely binding her so her first instinct would be to panic. She forced the pain into the back of her mind, pushing it where it couldn’t control her.

She breathed in and held her breath, blocking everything out. The glimmer in Gellert’s eyes, the small furrow between Albus’ brow, the constricting feeling making her fingers feel swollen and throbbing. The swell of magic grew inside of her and the vines shriveled like ice had frosted over them before falling in a small pile of ash around her.

She opened her eyes to see the triumphant gleam in Albus’ eyes. She tried to force down the grin but was unable to stop the happy giggle that slipped past her lips. Gellert huffed in impatience and sent a curse at her. Hermione wasn’t ready for it and it landed like a cannon ball on her shoulder. She was sent falling backwards, writhing in pain on the floor. Albus and Gellert slowly walked towards her. Gellert sent another hex toward her. She couldn’t help the scream of pain that left her, piercing the otherwise silent room. It echoed around the walls, landing on her ears but she was too far gone to hear it.

Gellert moved towards her so that he was standing over her and raised his wand. Albus grabbed his arm commanding that he stop but it was too late. Another hex flew from Gellert’s wand. Hermione’s hand swiped in the air and a shield of magic rippled from her palm. The curse melted into it before fading away.

There was a pause where Albus just looked at her. Hermione thought the onslaught was done and started to relax. Albus flicked his wand at her and a bolt of blue light shot out and Hermione blocked it once again. He sent another spell at her and then another. Each one she blocked. She started pulling herself away from the men, clawing at the floor as she pitifully slinked across it.

She pulled herself until she was sitting against the wall, her head thrown back and teeth gritted in pain. Albus and Gellert were sending curses and spells at her in quick succession, but she merely waved them away. Pain flared and sent her body ridged. Another spell fell on her. The feeling fire licking at her skin and making her scream out in pain. The burning seemed to go one forever, and soon not only the pain was at the forefront of her mind but horrible thoughts flashed in front of her eyes.

Ron and Harry lying unnaturally still, their skin sallow and grey. Her parents screams as green light envelopes them. Crookshanks hanging limply from a huge, grey wolf’s mouth. Remus writhing in pain as deep cuts cross his body and red spills from him collecting on the ground. Black eyes once soft staring into her turning hard and cold. The light leaving them as they stare on at her, unseeing. The eyes turn to an unsettling red color, like a pool of blood encased in and iris. They were sunk deep into a paper white face with harsh shadows casting a skeletal look on the twisted face. The bright lights above Voldemort glimmered and her eyes glazed over, the intricate ceiling becoming a blur behind the snake-like face.

The pain stopped abruptly and her arched back hit the wall. The breath she had been holding subconsciously left her in a great huff of air and the beams of wood that supported the ceiling came back into view. She could hear an angry deep voice booming around her and someone else arguing back just as angrily.

Her eyes felt heavy and dry as she tried to blink away the fuzziness of her vision. She saw a figure stoop down next to her and she made out the sharp blue eyes of Albus. His hand reached out to touch her and she flinched away like a wounded animal. The hand dropped and a furrow formed between his brow. His eyes softened and he looked concerned. The look reminded her of Remus for a moment.

She relaxed slightly before grimacing in pain. Her shoulder was completely mangled, her arm lying limp at her side. Using the last reserves of her strength, she lightly placed her hand on top of her crushed shoulder and let the magic flow from her center to her hand and back into her shoulder. A warm light shimmered between her fingers and the pain in her shoulder eased. She knew she would need to tend to it more later, but for now it was bearable.

Gellert leaned on the wall next to her and looked down at her with a bored expression, “Y’alright there, Granger?”

Hermione slowly looked up at him with malice in her eyes. She pulled herself up to stand in front of him and Albus rose from his squatted position, looking worriedly at her like she may fall over any second. She kept her left arm tight to her side, but her right hand fisted in anger. “You!” She ground out. “You horrible!” She pushed a pointed finger into his chest. “Malicious!” Another jab. “Sadistic!” His back was against the wall as she pressed her finger into his chest. “Asshole!” She finished with another jab. “You could have killed me!”

“Ow.” Gellert said in a bored tone rubbing the spot where her finger had jabbed into his chest. The force behind it left a dent in his sweater. “I would’ve never killed you, you vazey woman.”

“What do you call that display then?” Her voice raised higher the angrier she got and Gellert was making her madder by the second.

Gellert looked calmly down at her, “An exercise.”

“Gellert.” Albus warned, his voice steady and deep.

Hermione rounded on Albus, her curls whipping around her in her haste. She was sure her hair was a frizzy mess making her look like an angry cat. She could be one as she hissed at the red haired man beside her, “And you!” She shouted. “You did nothing except aid him!”

Albus’ hands rose in mock surrender. “Your defensive wandless spells are advancing quickly. You really are a talented witch-“

“Well they have to, don’t they? Or who knows what would happen to me?” Hermione said vehemently.

Gellert’s features turned dark, “For whatever reason, you were sent here to learn how to advance your magic. If you were ever in need of it, do you really think that it will be one on one while you take turns casting spells?” He paused. Her jaw set but she bit her tongue. The vitriol of her anger slowly dimming. “That’s right. You know that if you ever need it, it will be you fighting for your life and it won’t be fair. They won’t stop just because you fell down. They will continue to attack you until you are lying still in the cold ground.” He was standing just inches from her, his eyes glaring down at her. “Your magic has improved because we have taken the time to train you. I sincerely hope that you give your teachers in your time more respect than you’ve shown us.”

The words bit at Hermione more than she would care to admit. She held the professors at Hogwarts in the highest regards, seeing them as role models. She would never willfully disrespect them in her time, so what was the difference now? She had made a fool of herself in front of Dumbledore of all people. How could she return to her own time when she had acted so thoughtlessly in this one? She stared at the wall in front of her, willing herself not to cry out of shame.

After a pause of silence, Albus cleared his throat. “I think we’ve practiced enough for one day?”

\- - -

She splayed out, face first into the small bed in her room. She wanted to scream in anger and cry in embarrassment. Her eyes went with cry and she sobbed into the sheets. She was tired of this mission, tired of being away from her family and friends. Tired of constantly being bounced around and not knowing who to trust. Why was she sent on this mission? Surely someone else could have learned the same information to help the Order?

She gave in to her self-pity until her eyes felt raw and her tears ran dry. Finally, she sat up in bed and propped herself against the headboard. The metal bars that were made to look like vines and painted white were digging into her back besides the pillow she had already placed behind her, so the cast a comforting charm on them and they became much more pliant.

“I wish I had some tea and a good book right about now.” She grumbled to herself.

Crack! Hermione jumped, startled by the sudden noise.

A small house elf quickly walked over to her bedside table with a tea tray and set it down, “Nara has brought Miss Granger her tea, though, Nara doesn’t know which book Miss would like?”

Hermione had completely forgotten about the little house elf and groaned at her own stupidity. “I’m sorry, Nara, I didn’t mean to inconvenience you.”

Nara’s huge hazel eyes widened until she was sure they were going to pop out of her head. “Nara would never be so bold as to feel inconvenienced by her master’s request. Nara lives to serve the House of Dumbledore.”

Hermione smiled uncomfortably down at the small elf, “Erm-thank you, Nara.” She paused waiting for the elf to disparate, but the small creature just stood there in front of her as if waiting for something. Hermione noticed that her fingernails were painted a deep red on both hands. “Nara, who painted your nails?”

The elf looked sheepishly down at them but a small smile tinged her lips, “Miss Ariana likes spending time with Nara, which is Nara’s greatest joy in life. She likes to make Nara ‘pretty’, but Nara knows she will never be as beautiful as Miss Ariana.”

“I’m sure you look lovely when she is done. I love your nails, Nara.”

The little elf beamed up at her, “Thank you, Miss.” She hesitated for a moment like she was waiting for Hermione to say something. “What book would Miss like to read?”

Hermione thought about the books in the sitting room and pursed her lips in thought. Then an idea came to her and she looked pleadingly at the elf, “Nara, are you able to access the books in the attic?”

The elf nodded her head, her large ears flopping with the movement. “Nara has access to all of the Dumbledore home, Miss.”

A smile crept along Hermione’s lips as she looked at the small elf, “Perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment below, I would love to know what you think so far. Thank you for all the kudos! You guys are the best!


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else here looking forward to Holiday break? Good lord, I know I am. This chapter is a major turning point, but some of the things I left behind in other chapters will start to make sense. However, some of you may not like this for a few chapters. I promise, it wont be a large part of the story. Just an important piece that is necessary. At any rate, I hope you enjoy the chapter and are doing well. I am currently working on the next one, so it should be posted not long after this one. Happy reading!

## Chapter 31

Hermione cursed as a bead of wax slipped down the candle she was using for its pitiful light and settled on the page of the tome she was rapidly skimming. “Tergeo.” She grumbled at the irritating little bead that was quickly turning from translucent to opaque white.

For the past month, Nara brought her books in the dead of night from the attic. Hermione would read until the early hours of the morning in the library making sure to put barriers around the room so that no one would accidentally walk in on her. The last thing she needed was an inquisition by Albus and Gellert. After she returned the books to Nara, she would head up to her room and spin the time turner back a few hours and sleep until Ariana would come knocking on her door in the morning.

Footsteps thundered down the hall and Hermione watched as a shadow passed under the crack of the door to the library quickly followed by a second. She soon heard the angry stomping plowing down the stairs. She pushed her chair back and opened her door a crack to see the figure of Albus who was hurrying behind someone down the stairs.

She slinked down the hall hiding in the shadows and followed the men. She stopped at the end of the hall and peered around the corner to see Albus standing squarely across from Gellert. “I just need time!” Albus pleaded with the man.

“You haven’t got any.” Gellert snarled in a whisper. “Your _family_ continues to hold you back. You’re a fool!”

“You know you’re my family too!” Albus snapped back. “You’re just as important to me as they are.” His hand whipped back to gesture to the stairs where Ariana and Aberforth were surely sleeping soundly in their rooms.

Gellert’s arms flung out wide, his chest rising and falling quickly with anger. “Then prove it!” He waited a moment. The compulsion suspending in the air thickly between the two men. Albus’ shoulders fell and he looked away from him. Gellert’s arms fell heavily at his sides. His chin rose and he laughed, wiping his nose with his hand quickly. He looked over the man across from him and his tongue slid across this teeth making a sucking noise as he glared at the other man. His jaw ticked and his eyes seemed to pause on Albus’ face before looking away.

Gellert turned and made his way for the door, but Albus caught his arm whipping the dark man around so that they were chest to chest. Their eyes seemed to burn into each other’s and Albus said something so quiet that Hermione couldn’t hear from her hiding spot in the stairs.

Gellert’s eyes seemed to soften a fraction before he ripped his arm out of the other man’s grip and wrenched the door open, storming into the night. Albus ran after the man but she heard the crack of apparition from outside.

“Gellert!” Albus roared into the night. “Gellert Grindelwald!”

Shock hit Hermione at the name which echoed off the other houses of Godric’s Hallow and into the night. Her eyes slipped shut as she listened to Dumbledore’s pained cries for the other man.

She shakily backed into the wall behind her. Her hands spread across the wall to steady herself. Her mind was racing with a million thoughts. She knew that name.

She needed to get out of the hall and up to her room before he came back inside. Quickly, she tip toed across the entryway and clambered up the stairs to quietly run down the hall. She flung her door shut, catching it before it could slam. It shut with a quiet click and she ran to her small, beaded bag. Her arm disappeared into it as she rummaged around before pulling a book from it.

She enlarged it and flung it onto the table, nearly knocking the still lit candle flying. Her hand swiped in the air over the book and it opened itself with a heavy thud. The pages flew by before suddenly stopping. A face she knew stared back at her, wrinkles marring his handsome features. His dark eyes stared into her as he stood backed by a number of other wizards and witches. The flash of the camera making their eyes flicker. The heading of the page reading “ _For the Greater Good: Gellert Grindelwald’s Reign of Terror.”_ Hermione swallowed thickly as she read on.

“ _Grindelwald_ _proved to be one of the most powerful wizards of time, using his power to amass an army of followers who believed in his mission to force muggles into servitude. A message to wizards spread that Grindelwald would protect them from muggles who would destroy them if they found out about the wizarding world._ For the Greater Good _became a slogan for the army as they gained power, claiming to not hurt the muggles but to put them in their rightful place. For wizard-kind to come out of the shadows and into the light, taking their place as the superior race._

_Threats of a violent world war loomed over the heads of a generation who had just come out of World War II against the axis powers in Europe and Japan. Many joined out of the promise of a peaceful life, something no one had seen in years.”_

Hermione continued to read, growing more horrified the longer she did. Her hands were shaking. Heart racing. Her lungs felt like they were being smashed down by an invisible force. _I have been training with one of the darkest wizards known to the wizarding world._ Her mind whirred and she stumbled to sit on the bed. Tears started to track down her cheeks, her eyes wide with terror. Her hands trembled as she forced one over her mouth to stifle her crying. _What does Dumbledore want from me? I can’t do this anymore. I don’t_ want _to do this anymore._

She was tired. Tired of being wrenched through time. Tired of pretending to be someone else. Tired of never knowing who she could trust. And tired of the thought that she would be used once again when she returned to her time. For almost two and half years now she had done everything he had asked of her without question. Which was getting increasingly more difficult, especially since she came by her curiosity naturally. It was something many of her professors prided her on. All except one.

The thought of Severus rushed to the forefront of her mind. After she was done being used by Dumbledore for this mission, she was going to be used again as a bride for her least favorite professor. As a seventh year he was a friend. Maybe even more, but she was forced out of that time before she knew where she stood with him. As a professor, she was his second most hated student. Right behind Harry. She wished she had never gone on this mission. She wanted it all to stop.

Panic gripped at her chest until clarity overcame her. Her cries died in her throat and her mind cleared. Almost robotically, she pulled the chain out of her shirt. The silver time turner gleamed in the dim light.

Time seemed to stop as she looked at the small pendant. Her hands stopped shaking and her eyes seemed to be glued to the object. Her lip slipped under her front teeth and she bit down. Slowly, her fingers pinched around the small crown on the side of time turner.

_“When do I start?”_

_He hesitated, blue eyes seeming to darken as he regarded her unsurely. “Once you agree to this, you cannot change your mind. You must give me your word, Miss Granger, that you will not back out of this mission. No matter what happens.”_

_Hermione felt unease settle in her stomach. But this was for the Order. For Harry. She would never back out of something that would help Harry win the looming war. “I give you my word, sir.”_

She rolled the crown forward and the time turner glinted as it spun, the sands starting to whirl inside it. Soon it was spinning quickly in her fingers as she turned the little knob. She faintly heard a familiar crack of apparition but was too slow to see who it was before she was ripped from the room. The sensation of being compressed and torn open at the same time made her want to scream, but the feeling was too strong and her breath was trapped in her lungs.

A huff of air left her as her feet crashed onto the ground and she lost her footing, narrowly catching herself before falling flat on her face. She pushed herself up from the grass and stood to see the familiar grounds leading up to Hogwarts.

Her heart squeezed at the sight and she couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face. She was home. She couldn’t wait to see Harry and Ron! Her feet carried her on what seemed to be clouds as she ran to the entrance of the castle. She trudged up the steep path that lead up the hill and past the whomping willow. She stopped half way up the hill, her brows knitting together.

She stared at a clearing at the bottom of the hill. The tall grass swayed in the light, Scottish air. Just beyond the clearing loomed the forbidden forest. Hagrid’s hut was gone.

The light feeling that had lifted her heart sunk into the pit of her stomach. Something wasn’t right. She pushed the heels of her hands into her eyes and cleared them, wondering if she had just imagined it. No, it was still just a field.

She slowly turned to look up at the castle and trudged up the hill, a heaviness now in her steps. She finally reached the bridge that lead to the large front doors of the castle. Her shoes clicked on the stone as she walked in the dead silence. She heard a sole bird twitter as it darted overhead.

As she drew nearer to the entrance and saw scrawled over the doors _Airson am Math as Motha._ A shiver went down her spine as she read the inscription. _For the Greater Good._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Please let me know in the comments below, I'm interested to see where you think this is going. Thank you for any comments or kudos you leave! I appreciate you all for sticking with the story!


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well. The week before winter break is always killer as a teacher, so I'm glad I had something to do other than work when I got home this week. I'm sorry it took so long to upload. This chapter didn't come as easily to me as they usually do. As you know, Hermione is in a bit of a sticky spot right now and I hate to tell you that it will get worse before it gets better. But, I am happy to report that Snape is vital in this turn. I still plan to write over the holiday break, but I am flying home so it may be a little longer than usual. Anyways, I hope you enjoy and happy reading!

## Chapter 32

Hermione pushed open the heavy doors to the castle. Odd. They usually opened for anyone permitted to enter the school. The halls looked just as she remembered them. Vast and open with light flooding in through the large gothic windows.

She made her way through the halls, a stray student here or there walking past her. Classes must have been in session or they normally would be packed with students. She made her way up the changing staircases and towards the portrait of the Fat Lady. When she arrived, her stomach sank. Instead of the Fat Lady’s portrait dozing over the entrance to Gryffindor tower, there was a portrait of a wizard she wasn’t sure she knew. She cleared her throat, “Erm, excuse me, but where is the Fat Lady?”

The portrait regarded her with a strange look on his face. “The Fat Lady? Her portrait was taken down years ago. I have no idea where she was taken to.”

“What? What do you mean?”

The man in the frame gave her an annoyed look, “Are you daft? Her portrait no longer resides here. Now, leave me be.” He turned to look back at the book he had been reading and Hermione slowly turned around. Something was definitely not right at Hogwarts.

She needed to find a teacher. Any teacher, really. She hurried through the halls towards the transfiguration classroom. Professor McGonagall would straighten this out for her. She ran to the classroom door and tugged it open. A class full of what looked like second years turned to look at her. Her eyes grew wide as she realized her mistake, “Oh! I am sorry professor…” Her eyes met a woman who she had never seen before standing at the front of the class. She slowly backed away and shut the door behind her, the woman giving her a stern glare as she did so.

What was going on? She arrived at the exact time and place which she had left years ago but nothing was the same. Her mind was racing so fast she couldn’t think straight. She stiffly walked through the halls, not paying attention to where she was going. Unfortunately for her, she ran into a wall of black cloth. She yelped as she nearly fell over, but a hand snatched her arm before she hit the ground and flung her back up. A painful shock of magic zapped through her arm as the long, pale fingers wrapped around it.

As quickly as the hand had grabbed her, it released her like she had burnt it. She looked up and saw the familiar black eyes of Professor Snape. His brows pinched together in anger and confusion. He flexed his hand and she saw welts rise in sinewy stands that, no doubt, ran up his forearms the same as hers.

His mouth parted like he was about to say something, however the man he had been walking down the hall with spoke first. “What do you think you’re doing?” His green eyes flicked her up and down quickly. His hair was a dark, curly brown that was slightly greying. He was obviously a bit older than Professor Snape but a good few inches shorter than him.

“I-I’m sorry. I’m not sure where I’m going.” She said slightly dazed. Her eyes met Snape’s and she felt the slightest tug at her mind. She felt him slithering through her thoughts. Images of her life flashed through her mind as he skimmed through her thoughts. She dug the heels of her hands into her eyes and she slammed her occlumency shields down. She glared at him after shoving him out of her mind. Apparently, he had still not learned that slinking through other people’s minds was not okay.

His eyes narrowed a fraction, staring at her warily. “Riddle, do you know this girl?” He said slowly before dragging his eyes away from her to look at the other man.

Riddle. Bells of alarm started ringing in her head. Dumbledore always used that name when he was talking about…realization dawned on Hermione and she stumbled back. Tom Riddle was standing in front of her dressed as a professor with Snape, who had been a death eater. The look he gave Snape sent icy fear running down her back. Riddle took a step closer to her and she turned to leave.

“Granger." The commanding voice halted her. She immediately regretted it, closing her eyes in defeat. “What’s” He drew the word out, his eyes following her as she turned around. “Your hurry?” She was compelled to listen to his deep voice by default, even though she had a terrible feeling this Snape was not the same from the one she left.

Riddle looked at the taller man with interest. Snape let nothing away but slowly crossed his arms as he stared at her. She could feel him slipping into her mind and hitting her defensive walls. He grew darker and darker every time she blocked him. His jaw ticked before he abruptly turned to Riddle and said something under his breath.

Both men looked at her, “Come with us.” Riddle said, a smile spread across his lips. His eyes lit up and his perfect, white teeth glinted at her. He was entrancing. She wondered how this man could turn into the snake-like creature she knew.

“I think I’d better get to class.” Hermione said shakily. “I’m sorry, I think I must have taken a wrong turn on my way to the loo.”

Snape’s dark brow arched and his chin raised a fraction. “Professor Riddle would be _delighted_ escort you back to class, so you don’t…wonder, again.”

Hermione’s heart was pounding. She nodded quickly, her amber eyes round with terror like a doe in the headlights. She wringed her hands in nervous energy as the handsome man took a step towards her. “ _Ecstatic.”_ He crooned at her. “Now, which class were you headed to?”

Hermione’s brain wracked for any semblance of thought about what she should say. She already knew transfiguration was out. She assumed that if Snape was standing there in front of her that he was the potion’s master still. She doubted Care of Magical Creatures even existed by the looks of the vanished hut on the hill. It was September, so a new teacher she may have a chance at goading into believing she was meant to be in their class. She prayed to whoever may be listening that the Defense Against the Dark Arts position was still cursed in whatever backwards timeline she had fallen into. “T-the Dark Arts, sir.”

Riddle looked down with a shrewd smile before looking up at her, his eyes squinted at her in doubt. “Really? I didn’t know I taught anyone over my planning period. Granger, you said?” Hermione felt like she was going to be sick. Snape was smirking from behind Riddle’s shoulder. She wanted to hex his smug face right off his shoulders. “I think I know where you need to be.” His hand slipped around her elbow and forcefully tugged her to his side.

Hermione yelped at the tug as her curls whipped her face. He started to drag her down the corridor past Snape who she gave a pleading look to. His eyes narrowed and she saw him flex the hand that had grabbed her earlier. Riddle gave another sharp tug and she almost fell forward.

Her chest started to constrict in panic. Her vision began to blur as her mind went into overdrive. The only thing keeping her grounded was the painfully tight grip Riddle had above her elbow. She knew this feeling. Months of training with Dumbledore and Gellert had made this feeling become almost second nature to her.

She took a deep breath before quickly grabbing Riddle with her left hand. She tightened her grip on him and he looked down, momentarily shocked. Her hand lit with a beam of purple light, rays of magic shining between her fingers. Riddle cried out in pain, his fingers releasing their hold on her. She didn’t release him, however. She clutched his hand harder until he was on his knees in front of her, his mouth hanging open in pain and eyes unseeing but staring up at her. His skin started to blister up his arms like it was on fire.

She heard the confident stride of Professor Snape thundering towards her. She quickly whipped her head around to see his huge black form advancing towards them. She pushed her right hand out towards him and he flew backwards down the corridor until he hit a suit of armor and fell with a clang of metal. He was stunned, but nothing that he couldn’t handle. Riddle, on the other hand, was writhing in pain below her. She pulled her wand out from the sleeve of her hoodie and flicked it at him, stunning him as well. He fell limply to the floor.

She needed to get out of there quickly. She reached for the silver chain around her neck and pulled out the time turner. Her fingers found the crown on the side of the pendant and right as she was about to turn it, a spell hit her squarely in the chest. She stiffly fell to the floor beside Riddle, petrified.

Slow, sure steps quietly made their way to her until she could hear them breathe in before squatting down beside her. The piercing blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore pinned her below him. “Ah, Miss Granger. I was wondering when you would turn up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and I really appreciate all of the kudos and comments! They make my day seeing and reading them. I cannot thank you all enough for the support so far <3


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you are having a good ending to the year. I am not big on the holiday season and this one seems to be no exception. If you're in the same mind, I hope you are finding solace in something. And maybe this will be a short distraction, if not. Thank you for the support and kind words this past year. You guys have been really helpful throughout this year and I am excited to keep writing for you next year. Best wishes to you all for 2021 and happy reading!

## Chapter 33

Hermione’s amber eyes grew wide as Dumbledore slipped the time turner easily from her petrified hands and slid it into the robes of his pocket. He drew a circle in front of her with his wand and she felt cool, smooth metal wrap around her wrists. He stood and moved out of her view, leaving her to stare at the ceiling, frozen in place.

“She hexed me! I can’t get it to stop!” Riddle’s panicked voice said from somewhere beyond where she was able to see. If she were able to emote, she would have smirked at that.

There was a pause where no one spoke. Dumbledore’s hushed voice told Riddle to go to the infirmary quickly before it spread any further. She heard Snape’s steps slowly approaching her and soon she saw the two men staring down at her. “Insidious little chit.” He muttered.

“Indeed. If she is here, there is a reason.” Dumbledore said softly.

Snape’s dark brows pinched together and he looked up to the other man quizzically. “You know this girl?”

“I trained her.” He said plainly. Snape started but he was cut off with a look from the older wizard. Dumbledore levitated her off the ground, her hair falling behind her shoulders to hang after her in the air. “Which is why she needs to be taken to Gellert immediately.” The men started walking down the corridor and her frozen body followed.

“Forgive me for asking, Headmaster, but who is she?” Snape said, glancing back at her.

She slowly felt the tingling numbness of the spell dissipating from her fingers. She carefully curled them, checking the range she was able to move. “She is a student.” He said benignly.

“A student?” Snape said indignantly. “I’ve never seen her before and neither has Riddle.”

“You have.” Dumbledore said plainly.

Snape looked at him like he had just grown another head. “What could you possibly mean by that?” Dumbledore just continued walking down the corridor. Snape looked back at her again from his place beside the Headmaster.

Hermione was drawn into his dark eyes. For a moment she saw the young man she left in the 70’s, his lips quirked at her as he stirred the steaming cauldron in front of him, never taking his eyes off of the potion. As soon as the thought came to her, she was pulled from it. He was her professor again, sinuously instructing from the front of the classroom daring anyone to speak out of turn. His eyes black and hard meeting hers as she raised her hand to ask a question.

She clenched her eyes shut, trying to repel him from her mind but finding it nearly impossible. The more she fought against him, the weaker she felt. _Stop, stop, stop!_ Her mind screamed. She felt him pull from her mind as quickly as he had entered it. What was wrong with her? She couldn’t even put up a simple wall to block even the shallowest of thoughts from him.

He looked sickly at her. Her eyes pleaded with him, but he quickly turned forward again, and they walked in silence until they reached the Headmaster’s office. She drifted behind them as they entered the circular room. It was slightly different than what she remembered from the last time she had been inside it. The large desk still sat in the middle of the room in front of the large windows that looked out on the black lake. The portraits were the same that hung around the room. Some of the things on the shelves lining the walls were different. The pensieve glimmered in the back of the room like it had recently been used.

“Shall I call him?”

“If you don’t mind, Severus. I think I will speak with our young Miss Granger for a moment.” Albus beckoned her forward with a curl of his fingers and she floated lazily towards him. He flicked his wand at her with his other hand and she fell to the floor catching herself on her hands.

The drop stung her palms and knees and jarred her back. She winced but was thankful that she was no longer petrified. She looked down at her wrists and saw them clamped in metal bands that shimmered with magic. She sat back on the balls of her feet and gripped the metal on one wrist, spinning her wrist in her tight grip trying to make the band move. It stayed in place.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Snape pull a chain out from the high collar of his teaching robes and a silver pendant dropped heavily onto his chest. A triangle with a circle in the center and a line that ran down the middle. She knew that sign all too well but had no idea why he would be wearing it as a necklace. His large hand grasped it and he muttered something under his breath.

She stood and slowly moved towards the chair opposite of him. Warily, she eyed him from across his large desk. “Headmaster-“

“Lemon drop?” He levitated a small bowl of yellow candies towards her, but she shook her head.

“Sir, what exactly is going on here?”

His blue eyes seemed to harden for a moment before he schooled his expression once more. “I was hoping you could enlighten me, Miss Granger.”

Hermione lifted her hand palm up to the ceiling to bare her wrist to him. She gave him an expectant look, “I would feel much more comfortable if I wasn’t being restrained.” She dropped her arm when he didn’t move and looked down at the shimmering metal. “What is this anyway?”

“I would have thought you would be acquainted with this magic. You were going through my private library last I saw you, if I recall correctly.” Hermione’s face flushed and she looked down at her hands that were folded in her lap. He hummed as he frowned at her. “Pity. I am certain you will find out soon, however.”

The fire that was crackling happily beside them grew suddenly and cast the room in a bright green glow. A tall figure emerged from the flames clad in all black. His hair was cropped closely to his head and was a bright white. The man’s face was considerably wrinkled and had a short beard that cut angularly to accentuate his cheekbones. Hermione’s eyes met a pair of dark eyes and realization dawned on her.

She stood abruptly and sliced her hand through the air. The burst of magic she was used to pulsed down her arm but was sharply halted when it reached her wrist. The metal encircling her glowed white hot and she fell to her knees as pain burned through her body and she was sapped of her magic.

“What kind of way is that to greet an old friend, Granger?” The pain thumping through her veins was slowly dissipating and she looked up at him. She started to push herself up from the floor but Grindelwald lazily snapped and pointed at the ground and she was forced to her knees again. “You can stay there for now.”

He made his way over to Dumbledore who was looking down at her. “Is that really necessary, Gellert?”

The taller man followed his gaze with a slightly disgusted turn of his nose. “I would think so, since you found it fitting to imprison her magic. Not even a foot in the room and she tried attacking me.” He gracefully swept his hands out to his sides addressing Snape who stood quietly near the door. “A muggle’s true nature on display for us in this very room. You see, they run on their basic instinct. Like an animal, they attack immediately without any thought. It really is no fault of their own.” Hermione glared up at him unable to speak and he looked sympathetically down at her, “Their baser intellect is what separates them from us.”

Hermione struggled against the magic keeping her pinned on all fours and quickly felt the power being pulled from her by the wrist bands in a fiery pain. “I wouldn’t fight me if I were you, Granger.” Gellert said, a dangerous glint in his eye.

She hung her head, her mind racing. She needed to find a way out of this and quickly. She knew that no one should ever have access to her time turner and with Dumbledore taking it, it would be almost impossible to get away from him. And her wand, however that wasn’t as important to her. She could survive without it. It was just a means to focus her magic more precisely. She wasn’t as strong without it, but she would be okay until she returned to her time.

She watched for any sign of emotion from Snape, but his face remained as expressionless as a stone. Grindelwald and Dumbledore’s eyes met and she knew they were talking in that funny way of theirs. She saw Snape slowly approach. He was only a few feet away from her now and she instinctively felt safer with him being near. She shook herself of the feeling, however. She knew that this was not the same professor she expected from this time. “If I may,” he said quietly drawing the attention of the other two men who were behind the desk. “The girl cannot stay here, Headmaster. If someone were to find a muggleborn had infiltrated the school…”

“Quite right, Severus. Gellert,” Dumbledore said, quickly realizing the situation, “Take her.”

Hermione’s heart skipped as he languidly stepped around the desk. His magical binds broke as he ripped her from her position on the floor to stand next to him. Knowing this may be her only chance to get away, she elbowed him hard in the ribs and lunged forward. He caught her upper arm and pulled her back to him harshly. His hand raised in the air and came down to strike her. She was frozen in shock but after a moment she was able to gather herself. Her jaw tensed and her eyes narrowed. As she looked into Gellert’s eyes, all she saw was cold, unyielding darkness.

“Careful, Granger. Mistakes like that could get you killed.”


	34. End of 2020 Thank Yous!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to say thank you so much to everyone who read, left a kudo, or commented this year! 2020 has been hard on all of us and I am so thankful to have a great community of support for my writing on this platform. As many of you know, this is my first fic on AO3 and I wasn't sure how it was going to go in the beginning, but I really couldn't imagine that I would get this kind of feedback. Every time I read a comment, I am so thankful that you have taken time to write to me. I am always excited with what you guys think about what I've written. Some of you have been around for such a long time and have commented so often that I think, "I wonder what ____ will think about this part." I really feel like you all have become a sort of friend that has helped me along in writing this fic. I wish I could tell each one of you how much you have impacted me this year, but that could get a little...weird. So, I went through all of the comments and pulled your usernames so I could give each one of you a shoutout for being awesome! In order of appearance, thank you to:   
buttons1721  
ReaderXeX  
OnceUponAnArabianHorse  
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Daria  
MindfulLady  
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hendo2207  
Roilena  
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Sljh85  
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Blue  
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🌈  
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NicoruNS  
b777ast  
janedoh  
Lehel  
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KiwiRose  
HoneyDukesCandy  
Foxy  
hendo2207  
rmp  
scarlettcat  
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Lunarose87  
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LostOFallonGirl  
RafaSnape15  
reapergirl1  
If I missed your name (or typed it twice) I am so sorry, but know that I appreciate you just as much! You are all truly amazing people and I have loved talking with you this past year. I also want to thank the 577 people who have left kudos on this fic. Thank you for the encouragement! I hope you all have had as much fun reading this fic as I've had writing it and I can't wait to see what the new year brings us! My sincerest wishes to you and your family for the upcoming year and I hope you have a great ending to this one.   
Alright, enough with the sappy shit. Happy holidays and happy reading!


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm sorry this took a while to upload. I was hoping to get this up on Severus' birthday, but he shares it with my SO and that took precedence. I rewrote this chapter a few times; there were so many directions I could've taken it that I couldn't make up my mind. I don't want to drag this part of the story out, so I decided to condense it down. Thank you for all of the holiday wishes and I hope you all are having a decent start to the new year. Happy reading!

## Chapter 34

Time seemed to no longer exist to Hermione Jean Granger. Her parents were slowly slipping away from her the longer she was gone. The twitter of her mom’s laugh and the shade of her dad’s eyes were becoming…muddled in her mind. Not only that, but her friends as well. Was Harry’s scar on the right side of his forehead or the left? Maybe it was in the middle? The way Ron’s smile was lopsided as he said something funny. It all seemed to go fuzzy when she tried to think about the exact details that she knew she would have been able to pull up without issue at the beginning of this mission.

This mission. When she had started this mission for Dumbledore, she was 16. He told her it would take three years to finish this task and she accepted, not knowing how long three years could be without any contact with her friends or family. At first, she was grateful for being able to help the Order. For the opportunity to further her knowledge. But the longer she stayed on this mission and the more she learned, the more complicated things became. It was becoming harder every day to understand why she was sent on this mission in the first place. Why her?

Tears spilled down her cheeks at the thought of returning to her parents and friends. She missed them so much. The thought of returning to Hogwarts and seeing Ron and Harry again sent goosebumps prickling over her skin. She would be _home_. A sob caught in her throat. Her chest felt heavy with the pain of guilt.

She wanted to rip her skin off for reacting that way. She wanted to plunge herself into the black lake and never resurface. She wanted to hurt. To pay for what she had done. She had been given a gift and she wasted it in a moment of weakness and because of this all her friends – all her family – were gone. He could have given this mission to anyone else and they would have done a better job. Anyone other than her. She was a failure and a disgrace to her house. Where was her bravery? Her courage? Her nerve? _It never existed. You only pretended to be like them, but you never were. You’ve always been just this. A failure._

Warm, wet tears slid down her cheeks leaving a cold trail on her skin that felt tight as it dried. She felt a tingle of magic slide from her and down her arms stopping as it hit the metal bands enchanted around her wrists. White hot pain flared throughout her body, making her slump down as the magic was extracted from her. She reveled in the pain, her eyes seeing stars and her vision going dark. This was the only way she was able to make atonement for the terrible thing she did. She didn’t deserve to have her magic. They could take it. She didn’t care anymore.

“Hermione.” A voice said quietly from across the dark room she was imprisoned in.

She whipped her head up and her eyes met black. The dark eyes of Severus Snape glimmered in the low light as it shifted and danced around them. “Severus?” She was so tired she could barely make him out. She could see his pale face as it was a stark contrast to the black robes he shrouded himself in. She tried to blink away the bleary vision, but she couldn’t shake it. Her magic was too depleted.

He drew slowly closer to her. Almost careful, like he was approaching an animal. “Why are you doing this to yourself?”

Hermione swallowed thickly, not sure how to answer him. She looked away from him and into the candlelight, “I don’t know what you mean.”

His eyebrow raised in question, “You don’t?” He paused, watching her for a moment. She could feel his eyes slide in, what she assumed was, disgust over her. She wanted to bury her face so he couldn’t see her. “I think you do.” A long pause held between them like he was waiting for her to answer him. She couldn’t. The words wouldn’t form in her mouth.

“Look at me.” She set her jaw and refused him. “LOOK AT ME!” He shouted.

She jumped and her eyes snapped up to his. His expression softened ever so slightly. “Why are you doing this to yourself?”

She closed her eyes, unable to look at him as she said, “Because I deserve it.” She waited for him to say something but was met with silence. She took in a shuddering breath, “I am a failure. I deserve to pay for what I’ve done.” Her soft voice quivered as she spoke.

“What is the first spell you ever tried?”

Hermione opened her eyes and frowned at the abrupt change in topic, “Well, I suppose it would be attempting to turn a match into a needle my first year.”

“And what happened?”

“It turned into a pine needle instead of a sewing needle.”

He nodded slowly, “And was that what was asked of you?”

She gave him a look like he was slow, “No, Professor McGonagall wanted a sewing needle.”

“And what did Professor McGonagall ask for in payment for your mistake?”

She paused, still looking at him with a worried look on her face like he had lost his mind. “She didn’t ask me for any sort of payment. She told me to try again.”

The corner of his mouth twitched and his eyes narrowed, “You’re telling me she didn’t ask you to pay for your mistake?”

“Well of course she didn’t, that would be ridiculous!” She bit back at him.

“Then why do you ask payment of yourself for your mistakes?”

His words hit her, surprising her. She met his eyes again, finally understanding what he was getting to. “This is completely different.”

His eyebrow rose, “Is it?” She opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off. “People make mistakes, Granger.”

“You don’t understand!” She sighed, exasperated with him.

“I don’t understand? God knows, I never make mistakes. Every step I’ve taken in life has gone according to plan and I have never regretted anything I’ve done. Especially hurting those who do not deserve it. No, my life has been pretty smooth sailing.” He sneered at her. Hermione reeled back in shock.

“Yes, Granger, it is hard to believe that even I would have sins to atone for.” He said smartly. He paused, his eyes softening for a moment as he was lost in thought. He pulled himself from it quickly and his eyes found her again with an intensity she had never seen. “It is not I who decides how I pay for those sins. I do not will harm upon myself to pay for things I deem reprehensible.”

“What do you do, then?” She snapped at him.

“I live.” He stated sharply. He paused for a moment before slowly bending down to crouch in front of her. She looked at him tiredly. “Sometimes the hardest part of this world is living in it.”

Hermione’s eyes started to well again, but she pushed the urge to cry down and met his steady gaze. “Professor?”

His eyebrow rose a fraction, “Back to professor then, are we?” Color crept up her neck. He looked as if he was resisting the urge to pull away from her. On the contrary, he slowly lowered himself until he was sitting next to her, both of their backs against the same wall. He stared straight ahead, but she stared up him. It was…unsettling being this close to him when he wasn’t a teenager.

She could smell the rich, woodsy smell of his cologne and the mint that followed after his breath as he talked. She fought to keep her eyes from fluttering shut at the familiar scent. She thought over how to phrase her question so as not to scare him away. This had been her only interaction with another person other than Grindelwald in such a long time. She wasn’t sure how long she had been hidden away in this room, but she knew it was no short amount of time. “S-Severus,” she paused, waiting for him to tear into her for using his first name as he would for any other student in her time. “Who did you hurt?”

His jaw tensed and she thought he was going to push up from the wall and stride out of the room. He closed his eyes and rocked his head back into the wall behind them. “There was a muggle family who lived near my childhood home. They had a daughter who I grew…close to. When the headmaster recruited me, he took memories from me. To prove my allegiance, he and Grindelwald asked me to take away the thing that would be able to distract me from the cause. She was the only thing that could have swayed me. I erased her memories of me.” He paused a moment, his adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed thickly. “That, of course, was not enough for them. The headmaster took me to her and asked me to…end her. When I was unable to, he did it for me.”

Hermione was silent as she thought about what he said. She stared at the hard angle his jaw made. She watched the muscles clench and relax under her gaze. “You didn’t hurt her.” His brows furrowed and eyes opened to glare at her. She cut him off before he could argue with her, “You didn’t hurt her, Severus. You tried to save her.”

“The effort doesn’t matter if the outcome stays the same.” He nearly growled at her.

Hermione turned towards him, the effort of the movement making her head swim. “You couldn’t possibly believe that. People make mistakes, Snape. You can’t punish yourself for something you deem reprehensible.” A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips at the glare he threw from the side of his eye.

“Cheeky little chit.” He muttered angrily. He rolled his head to the side after a moment of hesitation and met her eyes. “You’re not meant to be here…in this time.” Her heart pounded in her chest at his words. She started to ask him what he knew but was cut off. He stiffly tugged his sleeve up and grabbed her hand in his. The silvery welts of magic tangled up their arms and he stared intently at her. “We are married in your time, aren’t we?”

Her eyes shot up to his, fear pulsing in her veins. “How do you-“

“These are marriage vows from dark magic.” He cut her off. “They’re never used now as they are deemed too barbaric for modern times. They fuse the couple’s magic together, creating a magical and mental link between them. If one is in pain, the other will feel it. If one needs help, the other will sense it.” He paused, his fingers brushing over the welts on his arm, causing her to shiver as she felt the magic surge up her arm. “The vows are unbreakable and everlasting. No amount of space…or time…could alter its effect. Once taken, both are linked forever.”

Hermione couldn’t hold the shock from her face. She could hardly believe the Professor Snape of her time would take such a vow with her. The thought of being tied to another person forever was unnerving. Body, mind, and soul. The three silvery welts shimmered in the dim light and she lightly ran her fingers over them.

He seemed like he wanted to say something to her but stopped himself. He pulled his arm out of her hand and faced forward again, not looking at her. “What am I like in your time?” He said quietly. His voice so low she barely heard it.

She sucked in a breath and held it as she contemplated how to answer him. “You are…well, I don’t know you that well, if I’m being honest. You’re my potions professor in that time. You can be cruel, but you are extremely intelligent. I’ve always respected you for that. And Dumbledore is still the headmaster, but he fights on the side of good. And you are his most trusted ally. You spy on the dark lord for him.” She paused and watched the tense lines in his face as he stared ahead. She reached out and put her hand on his forearm. “You’re one of the bravest men I’ve met.”

He closed his eyes and nodded in solace. After a moment he said, “Grindelwald holds you here because he knows if you go back and change the future, this timeline will never exist. He wants to keep his power. And every time you drain yourself of your magic, it feeds straight into him.”

“I-I don’t know if I can.” Tears stung at the back of her eyes. She looked up at the ceiling, willing them to go away.

She turned to look at him and he could see the doubt and fear swimming in her eyes. “Your biggest enemy is yourself.” He said, staring at her for a moment before softly muttering, “What are you going to do?” He paused a moment watching her with a peculiar expression that made her stomach clench, “Are you going to waste away down here or are you going to live?”


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I'm sorry this has taken so long to upload. I was extremely sick for the past couple weeks and it really took the energy out of me. It was not a fun time. At any rate, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I am about half-way through the next, so I'm thinking it will be a quick turnaround for the next chapter. Happy reading!

## Chapter 35

_“I’m going to live.”_

She gasped as she awoke, snapping up from her slumped position on the floor. She wildly searched the room for Severus, but he was nowhere to be seen. Her head was swimming and she groaned softly, touching the bump that was quickly forming from where her head hit the stone when she passed out. She could still feel his magic lingering in the air, but she knew he had never been there with her. Not physically, at least.

She pulled herself from the hard floor, her joints cracking as she straightened. She couldn’t remember the last time she stood. It felt like ages since she last saw daylight. She looked down at the metal encasing her wrists. It glinted back at her, mocking her.

Hermione set her jaw into a stubborn line, resolution darkening her eyes. She looked around the room taking in everything, however there wasn’t much to take in. A stone floor, a solid wooden door, a lone bed pushed against the wall that she refused to use out of spite and self-hatred. And the candle on the floor next to her that never burned down.

She needed to get the cuffs off. Every spell that she knew that could remove them flew through her mind. Nothing that she cast would get through the barrier of the cuffs, however. Exhausted and frustrated, she scrubbed her dirty hands over her face and sank down to the bed. The springs below her gave under her weight with a light squeak.

She froze and her eyes flicked to the mattress. She gave a couple little hops on the bed and listened to the metal squeak beneath her. The idea struck her so suddenly. How could she have missed this? She quickly dropped to her knees and found the source of the squeak in the bed. A badly bent spring. She unwound the spring from its metal frame, the wire digging into her fingers. Her hands grew slick with sweat and soon beads of crimson blood streaked the wire. She was finally able to wrestle the little piece of wire from the frame and cried out in victory.

Hermione quickly set to straightening the wire and putting a kink in the end. When she finally had a suitable tool, she rounded on the door. Carefully slipping the metal into the lock of the door, she maneuvered it until she heard the sweetest sound that had ever graced her ears. The click of the lock releasing.

\- - -

Hermione’s heart was slamming in her chest as she crept through the corridors. She had to bide her time before leaving the room she had been imprisoned in until it was well into the night and she was sure he would be asleep.

Grindelwald’s house was large and cold. It was like a labyrinth of extreme wealth. It was decorated with a dark Parisian style with mirrors encircled with gold filigree and large canvases painted with sleeping portraits of wizards from long ago. She was careful not to wake the portraits as she tip toed through the shadows of the house. The moonlight bathed patches of the rooms in a soft light that glinted off the ornate decorations. The wind from the snowstorm raging outside whistled through the single pane glass of the windows. The closer she got to Grindelwald, the warmer it got. Presumably from the fire he kept to warm himself.

As she rounded the corner of the hall, she nearly ran into a figure trying to sneak through the halls as quietly as she was. The woman yipped in surprise and her hand flew to her mouth to stifle the noise. Her blonde brows furrowed in confusion as they looked at each other, “M-Miss Granger?” she whispered.

Hermione snatched the woman’s arm and pulled her into the darkness of the hall. “Ariana? What are you doing here?”

The woman cocked her head in interest. “I could ask the same of you.”

Hermione snapped her hands behind her to hide the cuffs from the woman. Her eyes didn’t miss a thing, though, and she knew Ariana saw them. “You live with Grindelwald?”

“No.” She said cautiously. “I live with Albus. He lives here with Gellert.”

Hermione nodded in understanding, “They live together in this time.”

Ariana slowly crossed her arms with a guarded expression, “You’re still time travelling.”

Hermione nodded, looking around again to make sure no one was listening. “I made a mistake and I’m trying to get my time turner back. I think Albus has it.”

Ariana’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. Her piercing blue eyes were still bright as ever, however the lines of age wrinkled her fair skin. Her hair still fell in beautiful waves, but the blonde was streaked with white. Her skin pronounced the fragile bones beneath more than before. Where her features were round and child-like, they were now slender with maturity. Time had moved on for her and Hermione felt a pang of jealousy. She would move on until it was time to go back and then she would be reliving years she had already lived. It was unfair.

“Why would my brother have your time turner?”

Hermione warred with herself. Say too much and she could lose the only potential ally she had in this house. “He took it from me when I first arrived in this time. Ariana, please listen to me. I must get back to 1899. I made a horrible mistake leaving there.”

“You disappeared. We looked for you for weeks.” Ariana said, a flicker of anger behind her voice.

Hermione bowed her head, “I know. I should have never left like that, but I was scared. I had a moment of weakness and it changed the entire timeline.”

“Scared? Of what?”

She bit her lip, not sure how much she should say to the older woman. “Gellert in my time, he is not a nice man. And when I realized who he was, I panicked.”

Ariana said in a quiet voice, “He’s not a very nice person in this time, either.”

“Why does Albus stay with him, then?”

Ariana’s bright eyes turned hard, “That’s all he’s known. He can’t speak out against him, not now. He’s too far in.” She paused a moment, thinking. “He never used to be so cruel. But Gellert…influences him. And he is still clinging to the memory of the way he used to be, I think.”

Hermione gripped the woman’s hands tightly. “Do you want Albus to go back to the way you knew him before? Before the cruelty and Gellert’s influence?” Their eyes met and she saw the longing in the other woman’s eyes. “Help me fix this.”

A loud BANG! sounded at the end of the hall and both women’s heads snapped to the direction of the noise. Hermione felt a trickle of dread slip down her spine. Ariana quickly turned back to Hermione and she flung her around and pushed her under a table that held a decorative vase just a few feet down the hall. The lace that draped over the table made for a terrible cover, but it was better than nothing.

Ariana straightened quickly and hurried down the hall away from the noise. An even click of boots on stone echoed not far behind her and Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath. The dark, silver embellished boots of Grindelwald slowly paced across the room before coming to a stop just a few feet away from her. She pressed herself as close to the wall and into the shadow as possible. She could hear his intake of breath before saying, “Revelio.”

The table above her started to shake violently and Hermione had to stifle the shriek of terror that was threatening to burst from her. The antique vase on the surface of the table came crashing down to the floor, startling Hermione so much that she hit her head on the underside of it. The shards of porcelain scattered across the floor and skittered to a stop around her.

The boots of Grindelwald spun around and crunched on the shards as he drew closer. Tears started to fill Hermione’s eyes as she saw him start to lower himself to the ground. She could either stay hunkered on the ground, terrified and sniveling. Or, she could expose herself and go out with a fight. She teetered on the edge, fighting with her own fear. She balled her hands into fists and gritted her teeth.

She watched as his pale hand extended towards the floor. She readied herself. His hand closed around something on the ground. “ARIANA!”


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is the school year over yet? I am drained...Forgive my lack of updates. I hope you are all doing well and you enjoy this next chapter. I know I left you on a cliffhanger, but it will smooth over. Eventually. Happy reading!

## Chapter 36

The roar of Grindelwald echoed through the silent halls and Hermione’s heart skipped a beat. Hermione heard the slide of something against the floor and soon she saw Ariana’s bare feet skidding down the hall against her will. She came to a stop just before Grindelwald, her feet crunching on the porcelain shards.

“You’ve been stealing from me again.” He growled. “Unfortunately for you, Albus isn’t here to save you this time.”

She heard Ariana’s breath hitch. There was a whip-like sound and the woman was sent sprawling onto the ground. Her eyes locked with Hermione’s and she saw the fearful resolution settle in them. His hand slid through her hair to grip at the base and pull her back. He leaned down and whispered so lightly that Hermione couldn’t hear it from only a few feet away. But it was enough. Ariana began to shiver and her eyes flickered to pure black. The air crackled with magic causing the hair on Hermione’s arms to stand.

There was a CRACK! and another pair of shoes appeared in front of her. “Gellert, stop!” Albus shouted, but it was too late.

Gellert’s lips twisted into a smile as black magic swirled around them. The walls and everything in the room started to cave inwards and Albus quickly shielded himself before the house exploded around them. Hermione screamed as she was sent flying backwards, glass cutting her as windows and mirrors sent daggers through the room. Ariana stood, her blonde hair flowing around her as if she were submerged in water before glitching into dark swirls of magic. The house constricted again and debris came rushing from all sides towards Grindelwald. He was able to shield himself just in time, but Ariana continued to press down on him.

The air was rushing out of Hermione’s lungs and she wasn’t sure if she was dying or already dead. She couldn’t tell if she was falling or flying as the air compressed and contracted. She finally found something to hold onto and gripped as if it was the only thing tethering her to this life.

Then, like the eye of a hurricane, there was stillness. Hermione was scared to take a breath, the fear of the earth tumbling around her again keeping her from gasping. Her eyes watched as black magic slithered in the air around her. It twisted and writhed with a vengeance. She could feel the heat of hatred smoldering from it.

She saw Gellert standing in the center of the chaos, a look a righteous joy on his face. He sucked in a breath of contentment as he looked around the room. A shard of glass crunched under Albus’ foot as he took a step toward Grindelwald. The other man turned quickly at the sound. “What have you done?” The broken sound of Albus’ voice made Hermione’s heart tug painfully in her chest.

“I am doing what you never could.” Gellert simply said. “She has been a liability to our cause from the very beginning, yet you hide her away. Keeping her in this house like a doll. Protecting her from the outside world.”

“She’s my sister.” Albus said darkly. A tone she had never heard from the elder wizard before.

“And you know what she could have done for us. If you had only let me study her, but no. You kept her from me. Now look what has happened.”

“She would have never done this without a reason.” He countered.

“She’s dangerous, Albus. You need to let go of her. She is keeping you from coming into your true potential.” Gellert crossed the small distance between them and gripped the other man’s arms. He crouched down slightly to force Albus’ eyes to lock into his before straightening again. Albus met his gaze steadily, his lips a thin line framed by his long, white beard. “You know what you need to do.”

The black swirling in the air pulled together again to reveal Ariana, crumpled on what was left of the floor. She shook, not from fear, but from anger. It came off her in waves, her eyes lit with fire as she slowly looked up at Gellert’s back. He glanced back at the woman on the ground before turning to Albus again. “For the greater good.”

His piercing blue eyes met the woman he had protected for years, glaring at him from the floor. With Ariana’s greying hair and same blue eyes, she looked almost the same as the portrait of Kendra that she had seen on the mantle. Hermione watched as they stared at each other. She thought she saw a glimmer in Albus’ eyes before they hardened. His body stiffened and he raised his wand to the woman on the floor. “Keep her safe.” He whispered.

With a quick flick of his wand, Hermione’s shackles clinked to the floor and he turned to Gellert who immediately pulled his wand. “You fool!” Gellert shouted.

Hermione clambered to Ariana before accioing her wand and time turner from Albus’ pocket of his robes. The familiar smooth wood and cold metal met her hands, like her magic reuniting with an old friend. Green light flared around them and Hermione gripped Ariana’s face to turn her away from the scene in front of them. “Look at me.” She commanded.

Blue eyes met hers and she focused her mind. She knew her time was almost out as she scrambled for a place they could go. Her magic pulled at her and she apparated them away.

\- - -

Her feet hit the ground sharply, but she was finally getting a handle on apparating. Kendra, on the other hand, pulled on her to keep herself upright and looked pale. She gripped the older woman’s arm to steady her before pushing the hair out of her face so she could see where they were. Her brows drew together as she looked around the desolate street. The snow was packed high on the rooftops. Fresh snow bit into her face as the wind whipped her skin. It was settling in large drifts, the ice beneath causing her to slip as she turned. The street lamps lit the small bits of snow and ice that cut through the air, but everything was silent. Most of the homes on the street were dark.

Hermione turned to Ariana, shivering in her night gown. “Do you know where we are?” She crossed her arms and rubbed them quickly with her hands.

She pulled out her wand and cast a warming spell over the woman, making sure her feet were thoroughly warmed. She saw the red stained snow beneath Ariana’s bare feet and quickly healed the cuts. “Not exactly, it was more of a feeling than a place.” She said hurriedly, “Are you okay?”

Ariana nodded, but her face looked devoid of emotion. “Do you think he’s-“

“I don’t know, and I am not going to think on it until I do know.” Hermione said firmly. They had both seen the green of the killing curse before she apparated them away, but neither knew who had cast it.

Lights flickered on in the house behind them and Hermione turned to see a tall, dark figure standing in the doorway. She squinted to make out the face of the man. “Can you help us? Our car broke down a few blocks away.” She was almost shouting over the wind.

The man opened the door further and the Ariana and Hermione locked eyes for a moment before trudging through the drifts of snow up to the door. She went inside, Ariana not far behind and was met with tingling warmth. It was painful, but better than standing in the cold. The door shut behind them and Hermione turned to thank the man, but stopped. Her eyes met black and she felt the swirl of magic between them. “Severus?”

His eyes narrowed and his jaw set with a click. “Miss Granger.” He drew out. “What, pray tell, are you doing in my house?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has kept up with this story. I really appreciate all of your kudos and comments. You keep me motivated. I am forever grateful.


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